Rain Season
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: Malaika is a lioness from Mufasa's pride. She tells a dramatic story about Tufani, a mysterious lion who comes to challenge the king of the Pridelands. With his arrival, like a sudden storm, everyone's lives and plans change drastically. What will Mufasa do?
1. The Gathering of the Clouds

**AN: Hi all! It's time for another story from the Pridelands.**

 **Some of you might remember 'From behind Bars' - my tale of how the trouble Mufasa and Scar got themselves into (being abducted and put in a ZOO) forced them to work together. Well, this story is a bit similar.**

 **So the Pridelands are kind of like an utopia- too good to be true. Something had to go wrong at some point. In the movie, it was Scar trying to kill Mufasa and Simba... But what if the crisis happened** _ **before**_ **that, and came from outside the pride, threatening everyone and making them try to figure out a solution? I'm taking, for example, of an alien rogue lion, comming to challenge Mufasa and claim his throne...**

 **This is the idea, and most of the story will be told by Malaika- a lioness from Mufasa's pride. I made the character up, or rather just gave a name to one of the clone lionesses from the movie. Malaika means 'angel', by the way, and she's going to be hovering around this crisis which I call the 'Rain Season War'. As with all wars, please be ready for violence and sudden turns of events XD**

 **The narration will shift from Malaika's and the narrator's perspective. It is kind of like how I did things in 'Not exactly'. So permit me to let Malaika speak now, and tell you a thing or two about the Pridelands... and a time when Mufasa's kingdom was at war.**

* * *

 **The Lion King: Rain Season**

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Chapter 1 - The Gathering of the Clouds

Rain season is a strange time for all of the inhabitants of Africa.

After months of sunny weather that might even be prolonged to the point of becoming a devastating drought, when the ground is left dry and cracked, the storms come suddenly, and usually unexpected. This is why the beginning of the rain season is something that the animals from the savannah dread- especially the young. When the creeks rise to overflowing, many of them die caught in the current of the raging rivers and drowned in swamps that have until recently been their old pastures. It is then, and only then, when the bodies of the dead have fertilized the ground together with the water, that nature can follow its divinely instituted path, permitting the land to come back to life.

But I am not going to speak to you about the phenomena of Africa's weather, of course. My story is a different one, although a certain analogy can be made between the events that took place during that time of war, and the coming of the rain season to the savannah. You will soon find out why, if you choose to listen to it.

But why am I to be the one to tell you this story, anyway? Well, it's not like I'm anyone special... My name is Malaika, and first allow me to give you a little lesson of geography. In the heart of Africa, just east of the great river Congo, there is a beutiful and fertile land which is the kingdom of the great Lion King- the master of all lions, the king of the beasts. And I, Malaika, have had the honor of being one of the lionesses in the pride of this great king. At that particular time, the title was held by Mufasa- a brave and honorable monarch, who reigned in peace up until the beginning of one especially stormy rain season...

But let's start from the very beginning. What you must know about the Lion King's kingdom, the Pridelands, is that it is sort of like the capital in the midst of several other territories inhabited by lion prides. And even though the king rules over all of them, the Pridelands belong solely to him and his pride. According to ancient tradition, the Lion King always had but one mate- his queen, who was usually his closest advisor. The other lionesses from the his pride, who were more numerous than in any of the subordinate lands, were carefully chosen from the ranks of other prides. Their task and undoubted honor was to serve the king, hunt for him in his abundant domain, and to help him in matters of state, whenever he chose to ask them for aid or advice.

And I am telling this story precisely because I was among king Mufasa's court- a close observer of the most important events in the kingdom. In the beginning, after being brought from my own pride when I was still very young, I was trained to assume a function that was officially called the Pridelands' 'minister of foreign affairs'. But we never used that name there... In short, my duty was to be a connection between the king and his vasals, the leaders of the neighboring prides, so that he wouldn't have to go everywhere himself. Of course, with the arrival of that one fateful rain season, everything changed rapidly... Although, at the beginning of my story, that's what I was.

But forgive me for talking about myself all the time. The events I wish to speak of begin in the third year of the reign of king Mufasa. A few months earlier, all the animals of the kingdom were taking part in a joyful celebration- namely, the birth of the king's firstborn son and heir, Simba. I still remember the adorable tiny prince, as he laid peacefully and safely in the embrace of his happy mother- queen Sarabi. The king wished that all of the inhabitants of the Pridelands shared his joy during the presentation ceremony, and during the following days received, along with his mate, tributes and best wishes from delegations of visiting lions from other prides. As was my duty, I was there to help the royal couple meet with all of their neighbors who wished the cub health and a happy reign in the future.

Simba grew fast, and soon he became a lover of adventure, almost incapable of standing still for one minute... And although his parents were very happy that he was on his way to become a true master of the land, still they kept him close to themselves at home- at Pride Rock, where he was safe from anything that could harm him so early in life. But Simba would always try to find opportunities to leave and explore!

The king would take him with himself sometimes, whenever he was free, and would teach him whatever he could about the world, and about how to be a just ruler. I remember Simba used to love going on walks with his father. It was so sad to see him deprived of that opportunity when everything changed so suddenly...

Well, as far as I remember, it all began one day at the very end of the dry season, when I was chosen to stay behind as the rest of the lionesses hunted, and take care of the prince while king Mufasa was away, occupied with some matters of great importance.

It was really hot and stuffy, and I must admit that taking care of the prince was a real challenge that day... First, he wanted to wrestle. I thought- 'alright, you're growing, you need your exercise'. But where did that cub have a source of energy like that, is beyond me! After an hour or so, I was so tired I asked the prince if he wanted to play with the other cubs now, maybe... All he did was shrug, wrinkle his brow and say something to the effect of: 'meh, they're all acting sleepy and boring today. I'd rather play with you, Malaika'. Ehhh... So we played along...

After an hour-long game of tag, I suppose that even Simba wanted to slow down for a bit. I was thankful for that, believe me! But then the cub asked- 'Malaika, would you let me go over to uncle Scar for a little?' That was an odd proposition. I knew that Mufasa sometimes permitted his son to visit his brother in a nearby den where his brother lived. But would I be a good cubsitter if I let him go over there all alone? 'I guess that's okay, Simba' - I said, 'but I'll have to go with you'.

The expression of disapointment on the little prince's face almost made my heart break... 'Aw, but Dad always lets me go alone!' - he complained. I knew about that, and it wasn't that far away, anyway. Although reluctant, I was almost ready to give him permission to leave Pride Rock and get some rest myself before the rest of the pride returned from the hunt...

But then I heard a roar on the air, and I saw prince Simba flinch. 'What's that?' - he asked. Poor little thing, he was still too young to distinguish between the different types of roars, and could only recognize that this one came from his father...

Yes, for your information, there are different types of roars. There are those that say: 'this is my territory'. Others mean 'I found food' or 'I need help'... Unfortunately, the one Simba and I heard was neither one of those.

The roar we heard that day meant- 'everyone availible, to Pride Rock. _Now_ '.

I gasped out of genuine concern which was born in my heart. And even though the prince demanded an explanation, I just grabbed him by the nape with my teeth and started running home, despite his strong rebellion. But I had to- the king's orders, in case of such an event, were direct.

When we reached Pride Rock, the king was already there- along with Zazu, his majordomo, all the cubs, and another lioness, Saphira (she was 'prime-minister of the interior'), who had been taking care of them that day. Even Scar, the king's brother, answered his call and appeared, showing signs of great irritation... I'm telling you this to show you how serious a summoning roar was to all lions in the pride.

The king's face had an expression on it that made everyone's temperature rise. Simba came up to him and said- 'what's wrong, dad?'. But, in a way very unusual for him, the king didn't answer his son's question. Instead, he turned to the other lioness and said- 'Saphira, take the cubs to the cave and stay there with them. Let no one leave Pride Rock under any circumstances, until I return'. I can only imagine how mysteriously frightening something like that had to sound to the little ones... Simba whined, but Nala, his friend and betrothed, convinced him to follow her and the other cubs inside our lair.

We adults were left alone now. The king nodded at his majordomo and said- 'Zazu, repeat to everyone what you've just told me'. Poor Zazu... I really feel so sorry for what... Oh, never mind.

For now, Zazu was on duty, and seriously distressed with what he'd apparently just discovered while hovering over the lionesses of our pride during their hunt. Gesturing with his wings emotionally, he began saying: 'one of the females has just been suddenly assaulted by someone who appears to be a rogue lion! The lioness fought back, but the strong male overpowered her. And before the rest were able to interfere, he asked for something most outrageous- he demended to see the king of the Pridelands, face to face, or else he would attack again... Then the other lionesses surrounded him, and now they have him cornerd by the hunting grounds.'

That was terrible news indeed, and I was glad the king had the reason not to let the cubs hear about what happened. It was clear to us already from Zazu's words, and the king also encouraged us with a glare of serious concern, as well as his stern orders. Every lion was needed over there now. We had to hurry.

In face of such arguments, we all ran- including Scar, even though I could sense that the prince was among all of us the one most reluctant...

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 **AN: Sorry for such a long introduction, but I wanted to paint the picture before putting the characters in. So what Malaika is telling us about happens on the day when Simba was supposed to meet with Scar and be lured by him to go to the Elephant Graveyard. But because of the mysterious rogue's arrival, that never happened.**

 **Who is this dangerous alien lion? When Malaika continues her story, you will find out for yourselves.**


	2. The Breaking of the Storm

**Chapter 2 - The Breaking of the Storm**

 _(Somewhere over by the hunting grounds...)_

In the middle of the savannah there stood a group of lionesses, forming a semi-circle around something. Growls of warning and intimidation, as well as silent yelps of pain, were heard from their direction.

The group was approached by another pack of lions, who were running with utmost haste. Two of them were males- a big golden one with a reddish brown mane, and a smaller dark brown one with a black mane. By their side there ran a lioness- strong, yet with a pleasant look, she had pale beige fur and green eyes. Her name was Malaika.

She stood by her pridesisters with ganuine shock visible in her expression, as she observed what they were encircling... The huntresses parted to let their king and his brother through. Gruesome, loud growls were then heard.

A large blue bird sat on the branch of a nearby tree, opening his beak in a gasp...

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 _*** Malaika's story ***  
_

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I truly don't know if any one of us Pridelanders has ever stood in such terror as when Tufani first entered our peaceful kingdom. Especially that, when we saw him for the first time, he was holding his front paw, with extended claws, on our friend Sarafina's neck. As she was lying at his feet in the dust, seriously wounded.

I believe the first thing I remember hearing after I overcome the shock, apart from the growling, was what king Mufasa said. His strong, intimidating words, targeted toward the intruder- _'what is the meaning of this_?'

Queen Sarabi, our leader during the hunts, was the one to answer him. 'Sarafina was hiding in the grass, getting ready to pounce at our prey' - she said - 'and then this _rogue_ took her by surprise. We heard her roar for help, but by the time we were able to stop him, he was already threatening to kill her as soon as we took one more step! I sent Zazu to get you immediately. They've been there like that ever since...'

Hearing his mate's relation, Mufasa redirected his sight toward the intruder. His eyes were blazing with anger... and he had a very good reason for that. The rogue lion was just standing there as if nothing was going on, smiling, still keeping his paw on poor Sarafina's neck. And although she was cried in pain as she was injured and also now being choked by him, he made nothing of it. His carelessness was an insult to all of us. I think I even remember hearing Scar curse him when he saw that.

The lion who had entered our kingdom was huge. Now Mufasa was of extreme athletic built, what the whole pride always admired in our leader (especially us lionesses). But, even in comparison with the king, that rogue was simply gigantic! He also had many visible scars, and even fresh wounds all over his body. Apart from that, he didn't look in any way extraordinary. He didn't remind me of an evil spirit or anything like that. No, he had a yellow pelt, a little lighter, pale, well-kept mane, and regular, pleasant facial features. Blue eyes... He wasn't roaring or snarling or anything like that- just standing there, smiling, but deadly dangerous. And that calmness of his magnified the effect more than if he looked like the devil himself.

I remember the next thing Mufasa said to him was a predictable- 'who are you? What do you want?' Hearing the king speak only made the intruder's grin wider, though.

First he said that his name was Tufani. An adequate name indeed, for the word means 'storm'. He said that he was pleased to meet us all, and that he was happy to finally be able to visit the famous Pridelands.

Understandably, Mufasa couldn't take any more of his nonsense. _'What do you want?_ '- he roared a second time, this time much louder. Then the one who introduced himself as 'Tufani' took a look around, smiled and, looking the king in the face, had the audacity to say this:

'I want your land. Your water. Your herds. Your _females_. Your _kingdom_... And, lastly, _your life_.'

I can hear those horrible words still echoing in my mind. I see the awful, malicious delight with which Tufani uttered them... Everybody around was totally horrified. Had he just challenged our ruler, a thing that's been unheard of in all the history of the Pridelands? Even the king, even Mufasa himself looked as if he didn't know what to say.

Tufani began unfolding his reasons for comming to our kingdom. He stated his demands, which made the blood curdle in our veins.

'I challenge you, king Mufasa' - he continued - 'to a one-on-one battle to the death, for which the price shall be... well, everything you own. If you choose to accept the challenge, you will agree to personally stand before me, without any aid from your pride. When you lose, and I have lawfully claimed the throne, you must promiss that neither of your lionesses nor anyone from your kingdom will object, but instead will unanimously acknowledge me as the new Lion King.'

Well, how do you like that kind of a demand? Because we didn't, not in the least... But that wasn't all yet. Seeing that Mufasa is not answering with anything more than a growl, Tufani proceeded to reveal the rest of his plan. He said something next that was to cover the Pridelands with a shroud of fear for days to come...

'If you hesitate to give me an answer, each day I will kill one animal in your kingdom, starting from the ones you've befriended less. And I will proceed to the point of killing the ones you love the most, until you finally decide to show courage and face me.'

We all gasped in horror, but the expression on Mufasa's face was just... indescribable. He must have felt deeply, personally offended- not only for being challenged himself, but also because somebody was thretening his pride- his friends and his family.

Then our king roared. And it was not even a roar of an angry lion like those I've heard in my life before... No, that roar was something different. It echoed far and wide, reaching to all corners of his kingdom. It frightened the hyenas from the Elephant Graveyard, as well as the termites from the Outlands... And it even frightened us.

When the echo died down, there followed a total, deaf, heavy silence. Not a lion spoke, not even a bird sang. All the herbivores hid away in their safe spots.

The only one who was not afraid, was Tufani.

To our disbelief, he started laughing. If Mufasa's eyes had limitless fury in them before, now they became... I don't even know how to describe this! The only thing he was able to say was- _'leave this place now_!'

'With pleasure' - Tufani said, merrily. - 'As long as you promiss that nobody will follow me.' He said that putting pressure on Sarafina's throat, making her cough and gasp for air... The king was up against a wall. And even though he hated to listen to the intruder's demands, he agreed.

The terrible intruder was gone as soon as he appeared, and we all breathed with relief, seeing Sarafina free. Poor girl... She wasn't terribly injured, but frightened enough not to be able to get up from the ground on her own. We all embraced and consoled her, somebody started tending her wounds...

Myself, I observed what the king was doing. His expression was grave.

'What are we going to do now?' - Sarabi asked him. He didn't look her in the eyes. Instead, he gazed at the sky... - 'I'll think of something, don't worry' - he answered, doing the best he could to sound convincing.

On our way back to Pride Rock, among the tragic silence, I overheard the king speak to Zazu. 'According to royal protocol', the majordomo said very professionally, but with fear, gulping before he continued - 'the challenged king must stand before his opponent. If he wins, the opponent is to leave and never come back. But if he _loses_... and is still alive afterward... he must leave, and abandon the throne in favor of the victor.'

I knew these word must have hurt him- Mufasa, who had always tried so hard to be faithful to the old laws... But such a situation had never happened before in the Pridelands! Indeed, that evening everyone knew that we had a most difficult time ahead of us.

I heard Sarabi, the king's dear, loving mate, begging him not to accept Tufani's challenge. But he just told her that he would withold his decission until the next day.

When we returned to Pride Rock, I discovered how frightened the cubs were, not knowing what happened during our long absence... But the king demanded all of us to keep our mouthes shut so as to not spread panic among the young ones. Simba ran up to his father, almost in tears, telling him that he was afraid that something had happened to him. Mufasa hugged his son and assured him that he was fine. He even joked a little, saying that Simba shouldn't worry about anything happening to _his_ _dad_...

But nobody laughed at any jokes that night. For as soon as young Nala saw her mother, all bruised and aching as she was, the poor cub started crying so loudly and sorrowfully that all of our hearts were filled with pain. Oh goodness, how I would like to forget that girl's cry!

Remembering what Tufani said, the king demanded that the whole pride stay together that night. And, on Mufasa's direct and personal request, for the first time in ages, Scar was to sleep with us, too. Surprisingly, the prince agreed without too much complaint, and soon fell asleep by one of the side walls of the den.

But for the rest of us, it wasn't easy to sleep that night. A violent storm, the first one that year, broke out right after sundown. The peals of thunder kept us awake, just as much as our own dark thoughts did...

And the day, as we were about to find out, brought us no relief whatsoever.

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 **AN: Wow. Mufasa's in trouble now.**

 **The situation of a rogue challenging an alpha male of a pride is nothing unusual in the animal kingdom. But these are the Pridelands, and an important time in the Lion Kings' history. Will Mufasa accept the challenge? After all, it's only one lion, right? This is the first time his reign will be tested in such a way. Will he risk his life and reputation for the pride? What will the other lions do?**

 **And, importantly, what about Tufani's warning that he would kill an animal a day?**

 **Feeling the breath of the reaper on our backs, we fall asleep together with the lions of Pride Rock... and wait for Malaika to tell us what happened later.**


	3. The first Peal of Thunder

**Chapter 3 - The first Peal of Thunder**

 _(Late at night, somewhere beyond the border of the Pridelands...)_

A man's eye wouldn't have been able to see anything among the darkness, maybe except for the short moments when the rainy sky was illuminated by the flashes of lightning. But another pair of eyes, ones that did not belong to a man, kept a watchful vigil in the night. In spite of the rain.

The violent wind brought a familiar scent... and a smile to the face of the watcher.

- _KUTOA CHOCHOTE!_ \- he yelled, the sound of his words immediately quenched by the rain, the thunder, and the wind. But he was heard, and the one who approached knew the right answer.

- _KUCHUKUA KILA KITU!_ \- a triumphant cry came, sounding much like the first one.

-Has the task been completed successfully, Wingu? - asked the First Voice.

-Yes, Tufani! - the Second Voice answered with a noticeble note of delight. - I was able to do everything I wanted without a single obstacle appearing in my way!

-Are you sure you weren't spotted?

-Positive. They're all hiding in their den, frightened. They didn't even put out scouts to watch the road. I think they're scared of the storm!

The two Voices laughed in a unison, almost becoming like one, indistinguisheble sound.

-And you know what happens when the rain stops falling, right? - the First one asked. - The grass will grow again, the herds will multiply... And the Pridelands will belong to us.

-Yes! Judging by how unprepared that king of theirs is in his blissful security, it won't be long now!

Another bolt of lightning illuminated two dripping wet sillhouettoes...

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*** _Malaika's story. ***_

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I was awaken by somebody's scream, and as soon as I was able to comprehend what was going on around me, I noticed that Pride Rock has been thrown into chaos. At the entrence to the den, I noticed two lionesses, rushing to see something outside. By the wall, opposite to where I was, a cub sat, crying...

Without a moment of hesitation, I rose and ran outside. My heart was beating so hard... Everybody was gathered at the bottom of Pride Rock, by a large stone, and the yelling and crying was so loud that I could hardly figure out what had happened...

Then Sarabi saw me. She was looking very sad. Nodding in my direction, she requested that I come to see for myself. I squeezed through the crowd...

Upon the rock, facing the sky, with outstretched wings, laid Zazu. He was still wet from the rain. At first I thought he was just out cold... But then I saw Mufasa- he was standing by him with his eyes closed... I took a closer look. Zazu was stiff... with rigor mortis.

Somebody had broken his neck.

The king's long-time loyal, devoted and faithful servant became the first victim of the murderous Tufani's promise- that he would kill an animal close to us every day if the king would not show up to face him. But if he started from somebody who was as great a friend as Zazu, where would he strike next...? I was petrified, and I saw the same questions on Mufasa's sorrowful, guilty face.

He let the whole pride see what happened, but when the cubs came, he ordered them to be taken away. Saphira was to explain to them what had took place the other day, as long as she did it so as to not scare them too much. Of course, that was totally futile. Later all of us could see that, even though Zazu was not really popular among the little ones, his death, along with the arrival of Tufani, frightened them more than even the rest of the pride.

Very soon afterward, Mufasa called for an emergency meeting of his royal council. I was there, along with Sarabi and a group of lionesses who had been given the most responsible tasks in the kingdom.

He was hardly able to speak... Well, also because as soon as we were gathered, he looked around and finally noticed that his brother was nowhere to be found. Of course, he became really angry... But I'm sure it was out of genuine concern. The Pridelands have become a dangerous place to travel, especially when one was alone. The queen soothed Mufasa a bit, assuring that Scar was probably fine, and urged the meeting to continue.

Mufasa exchanged his anger for his royal care again. First of all, he ordered that Zazu be given a swift burial- here, close to Pride Rock. Even though there was no time for long ceremonies, he thought the majordomo deserved that last sign of appreciation. Next, the king forbade, from now on, for anyone to travel alone. The lionesses were to move around at least in pairs.

And then, to my great surprise, our leader pointed at me...

He said something strange, that I could 'get around well', or something. I guess he meant my former service with the neighboring prides. Well, anyway, because of that, according to the king's will, I was now to assume Zazu's old responsibilities. To be the 'majordomo'- someone in charge of the royal household, and an official messenger to the Lion King.

It was a great honor, but also a great responsibility, especially in those days. I don't even remember what I said as an answer, probably something stupid... We were all so stunned with extreme emotions at that meeting. Anyway, my first assignment was to visit our greatest allies in the Pridelands, as there was no time to contact other prides. Those were the other great carnivores- the leopards and the cheetahs. I was supposed to warn them, and to ask if they had seen any suspicious lions last night. Then Mufasa demended me to bring one of his most trusted advisors to him- Rafiki, our old sage and shaman.

He sent out the lionesses to hunt. Despite everything, we needed to eat. Sarabi, however, was to take special care that no huntress dares to seperate herself from the group too much. The pride would meet all together at Pride Rock after the hunt and discuss what they would be able to find out until then.

Besides that, Mufasa made Lenah, who was minister of interior affairs, personally responsible for the safety of the cubs along with Saphira, her deputy. They were to- and the king strongly emphasized that- stay at Pride Rock at all times, no matter what happened. The two of them, along with several other lioness guards, were to keep them young secure at home.

As for the king himself, he said he would go out to search the land... to find Tufani. Of course, Sarabi hated that idea, but Mufasa's will was final. He ordered everybody to carry on with their duties, and to meet back at Pride Rock in the afternoon, after the meal that would follow the hunt.

The next thing that happened was Zazu's funeral. The ceremony was short and sad, end everyone had to attend it- including the cubs. Poor little things, already informed about the gravity of the situation in which we were, they were crying their eyes out... even Simba. He clung to his father tightly, as Mufasa delivered a short speach about the devotion of one of his most faithful servants, who spent so much time working for him that he never even started his own family. The king commended Zazu for having given his life in this most exemplary service, for the good of those who weren't even of the same species as him. He ordered that this sacrifice may not be forgotten... and promised to bring the one guilty of Zazu's death to justice.

Not even having enough time to grieve, I had to carry on with my new assignment. The first task was to visit the leaders of the two other species of great cats from the Pridelands. According to the royal precept, I took my friend Kuruma to accompany me. She had been my vice-minister, and was my dear friend. As we were walking toward the leopards' hunting territory, we talked about what had happened. What concerned us most was not our own safety (we were both good fighters, I'll say without boasting), but what the king was planning on doing. Was Mufasa really going to face Tumani in a duel for the throne? At this point, nobody could know for sure yet.

We travelled for a very long time, first visiting the leopards, and then the cheetahs. Their leaders (if you could call them that, because those felines did not live in prides and their society was far less structured than that of us lions) were very concerned with the arrival of a dangerous rogue, but said that they had not noticed anything suspicious. And that was unfortunate...

Next, we went over to the Great Baobab- to the abode of the Pridelands' sage, the mandril Rafiki. As we arrived there, once again I found out that it's a mystery to me how this odd individual became one of Mufasa's closest advisors...

* * *

 **AN: The comical character is dead. Things just got serious.**

 **Well, Tufani kept his promise- he has spilled blood in king Mufasa's land. But will the dark voices be silenced before thunder strikes again? Who is this other voice which speaks to the killer among the night? His superior or his minion?**

 **Time has come to call for the Pridelands' sage and search for wisdom. Hopefully, it will save Mufasa's pride from the devastating storm.**

 **I would like to thank all reviewers for their support! Your words encourage me to keep writing ;)  
**


	4. The howling Wind

**Chapter 4 - The howling Wind**

 _(Earlier that day, at the Elephant Graveyard...)_

The huge scull of an elephant was a very scary sight. Especially when voices were coming from inside of it... Something like a loud yawn echoed from the walls of the bony cave. And then a high-pitched, tired voice of a female spotted hyena.

 _Hey Banzai, wake up an' make yourself useful!_

A second voice answered- one that belonged to a male.

 _Whaaa? Ah, it's you! Ya ruined my dream! I was dreamin' of eatin'..._

 _Shut up and quit thinkin' with yer stomach! Go out and see if it's still raining._

 _Awright, awright..._

A head peeked out of one of the sockets. Two pairs of sharp fangs glistered in a grin, and the head slipped back into its hideout.

 _Hey, c'mon! Wake Ed up, we can finally come out._

 _Okay, but only for a while. Remember, we need to stay in hidin'..._

The first hyena to run out of the skull, was the crazy one. Laughing uncontrolably, Ed skipped up to the top and then slid down the wet tusk as if it were a slide. He was an individual who did not enjoy confined spaces too much...

His two companions also went out, yawning and stretching. It was still early in the morning. This being the third day of their ambush, they were becoming very bored with it. And, on top of that, starving.

Banzai came up to one of the steaming geysers and stood in front of it, smelling the fumes.

-Ah, I wish I had some piece o' meat I could cook in here. At least a bird or somethin'...

-Get away from there! You'll get high from those vapors again! - Shenzi said, throwing a bone at his head, hitting straight in the bull's-eye. Ed was struck to the ground by an attack of epileptic gigling.

- _EY!_ That _hurt_! - the angry male growled.

-Mission accomplished... - Shenzi laughed maliciously.

The imminent fight was only prevented by the sound of someone clearing his throat. The hyena trio looked in the direction from whence it came, and sprung up to their feet. Shenzi and Ed were about to perform their customary bow, but it seemed that their partner was now in the mood for jokes.

-Here, kitty kitty... Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you a little big for a cub? Huh-huh...

Scar sent him a look that made the smile on Banzai's face melt like a snowflake on a frying pan.

- _Not_ _amused_.

The lion gave his minion jokster a 'gentle' pat at the back of the head, forcing him to perform the his bow.

-That's better - he continued. - Now listen up! I came here to call off the ambush. Something has happened in my pride that was...

The trio gave their boss a curious glare.

-... _wonderful!_ \- he finished.

Scar smiled, and his hyenas followed.

-What was it? What was it? - Banzai kept asking.

-Did Mufasa die of a heart attack? - Shenzi inquired.

-Was Simba eaten by crocodiles?

Also Ed laughed in a way that seemed to be asking for an answer. But all Scar did was keep smiling mysteriously.

-Even better... - he uttered with a nasty pleasure.

Then the lion revealed to his partners in crime the events of the past day. He told them about the arrival of Tufani, his demands, the havoc it caused among his brother's subjects... And also about the most recent event he'd found out about- Zazu's death.

After that, Scar shared his own plan with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. He wanted to find Tufani, turn him to his side, use him to kill Mufasa and Simba... And then, in light of law, have him slain as a murderer. Simple and convenient- nobody could ever accuse him of anything. Then he would become king, and their dreams would become a reality. It all seemed right within their reach- in fact, Tufani had started to help them by eliminating the most pesky one of Mufasa's spies already! All they needed to do was to find the intruder before anyone else did.

-Shenzi, I want you to take your pack and to search the borders - Scar ordered her, visibly excited.

-Got it! - the hyena saluted. Banzai and Ed laughed and gave each other a high five.

-Heh-heh, oh yeah! - said the one who could speak. - Nothin' like having some idiot do yer dirty work for ya...

Scar smiled at him, as though he was looking at some little cub.

-For once, you are very correct. Now go! And remember not to take any action upon finding the rogue. Contact me at once!

-Right! - Shenzi said. - Hey, uh, Scar... By the way. We've been here waitin' for your nephew for a looong time, ya know... Our stomachs are kinda empty, and...

The lion sighed, immediately guessing what she wanted to ask for.

-Do you think I have the _time_ to hunt right now? After you find Tufani, you can go steal something from my brother's herds. But for now, here- catch...

He reached behind his back and threw each of the hyenas a big fat locust. The bugs were devoured before they even hit the ground.

A choir of gruesome laughter lifed over the Elephant Graveyard...

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***_

* * *

When Kuruma and I arrived at Rafiki's home, we had a funny feeling that he'd been expecting us... Anyway, telling him that there was no time to lose, we urged him to follow us and explained everything on the way. The ancient ape only ceased his constant laughter when he heard that a lion had challenged Mufasa to a fight to the death, and that threre had already been a first casualty. In a haste, he began to move so fast that even the two of us could hardly catch up with him... I still don't know how he did that. And now I'm left with nothing but my wondering...

Anyway, immediately after the meal, Mufasa assembled his council at Pride Rock a second time. In Rafiki's presence, he related the situation in greater detail. He also informed us that, sadly, nobody was able to find out anything about where Tufani could be. Things were getting really serious... So then the king asked for Rafiki's advice.

I could never understand the way the shaman spoke. Most of what he said were always riddles, metaphores, and shreds of ancient lore. This time, however, the first thing he said was very clear- for the mandril sighed, shook his head and explained that he feared this would happen someday. The Lion King was an individual with a lot of power, and power was a temptation for weak souls- he said. As were fertile lands, numerous herds and other luxuries of the life of the king.

Saying the word 'king', the shaman turned toward and adressed Mufasa directly, pointing at him with his staff.

'The king, the king holds the life of his pride - he said - like a lioness protecting her cubs. Look up to the stars and look for council, Mufasa - he continued - for here, wisdom is essential. But wisdom is useless without an open heart... For the pride shall only be saved - he emphasized this odd prophesy of his - _when the one becomes two, and when the two become one_ '.

For some reason, these words were meant to be very important. Rafiki repeated them, and he did it like this. He raised his staff, saying - 'the pride shall only be saved _when the one becomes two_...' And then he suddenly snapped his staff in the middle.

After a moment of silence, he continued - ' _... and when the two become one!'_ Saying that, he put the two pieces of the stick back together again. Then, before our very eyes, his staff was restored to how it was before!

I know I probably didn't describe this odd scene well. But we were all astonished. How did he do that? Was this some illusion? Only Mufasa had enough sound mind to pay attention to what Rafiki was saying afterwards.

'Beware of the _ibilisi_ , king. Beware of his venom of pride and hate. Don't let it corrupt your heart.'

That was the last thing he said. Mentioning the _ibilisi_ legend sent shivers down our spines, but also reasured some of us (me included, I'm afraid) that the old shaman was completely insane. An _ibilisi_ was supposed to be a demon in animal form. Usually it would be a wild dog, a goat or a boar, but superstitious folk said that there were also lion _ibilisi_... I never believed those scary stories for cubs and put them in one line with those about two-headed hyenas and fire-breathing crocodiles. But what Rafiki said about the 'venom of pride and hate', was actually about to become very true... along with everything he said, in his criptic and twisted way.

The meeting ended with Mufasa encouraging Rafiki to stay for the night (what was actually unheard of- animals other than lions were normally never allowed to stay in the den for long), but the shaman only laughed and said that his home was in the Baobab... and that it was getting late already, so he better be on his way. The king wouldn't let him go without two lionesses to guard him, though. One of the chosen for this task was Lenah- since she was the last one in the pride to give birth, Rafiki kept asking her questions about her daughter Kula's health. As they were escorting him toward his home, I heard the old shaman sing a song I knew from my own cubhood... It goes like this:

 _Jambo, jambo bwana,_

 _Habari gani,_

 _Mzuri sana._

 _Wageni, Wakaribishwa,_

 _Nchi nzuri yetu,_

 _Hakuna Matata._

 _Nchi ya maajabu_

 _Hakuna Matata._

 _Nchi yenye amani,_

 _Hakuna Matata..._

It was a song of welcome and consolation. At first I thought- why is he singing that? Was he mocking Tufani, the newest 'guest' in the Pridelands? Perhaps. But soon I was about to find out that our sage was probably trying to comfort us, and prepare us for the even greater distress ahead which he had forseen... And also, why he was singing it to Lenah.

The night came quickly, and with a new wave of rain. Mufasa said he would take the first watch outside. I saw him at the tip of Pride Rock, gazing toward the sky for a long time, according to Rafiki's instructions, asking questions... But no stars could be seen that night because of the storm clouds. After a while, the queen couldn't handle watching him like that anymore and joined him in the pouring rain. He permitted her to stay by his side.

I tried to fall asleep, but the wind howling outside would not let me do that. After the two lionesses who escorted Rafiki to the Baobab came back, I noticed somebody else who also had trouble sleeping...

It was Simba. Left alone by his busy parents for most of the past two days, he has become really lonely. Feeling sorry for him at heart, I let him sleep with me that night. Despite everything, he was being very brave and even told me a sectet- he wished that Mufasa would accept Tumani's challenge, and, to put in in his own words- 'kick his butt'.

I can't blame the little prince for saying that. Fortunately, he fell asleep by my side very fast and wasn't able to hear what his parents were talking about when they finally came back inside. The king said he'd made sure that everyone was back at Pride Rock for the night... but despite that, he still couldn't find his brother. He sounded angry to me, but Sarabi could sense his concern... She asked him about that, and he agreed. Mufasa was terribly afraid that Scar was going to become Tufani's next victim.

First thing in the morning, I found out that the king went to consult Rafiki again. When he came back, we could all see that he'd been crying...

That night did not claim the life of his brother, but that of his closest friend. The king found the shaman in his home, with a broken neck.

* * *

 **AN: The** _ **demon-lion**_ **strikes again. The prophet delivered his prophesy... and he was destroyed by it. But will Mufasa honor Rafiki by listening to his last words? And how can you interpret the old shaman's criptic puzzles?**

 **The song he sings is an actual song from Kenya. The translation is as follows:**

 _ **Hello, hello sir / How are you / I am very fine. / The visitors are welcomed / to our beautiful country. / No worries**_ _._ _ **/ It is a nice country / A country of wonder. / A country of peace. / No worries.**_

 **Perhaps Rafiki knew that he would die that night. Perhaps his song is really one of goodbye and not of welcome, one of grief for the peace of the kingdom which has been lost. All Mufasa has left now is his own wit to figure everything out.**

 **But the king has more trouble than just that. Let's not forgrt about Scar, who is still plotting to get rid of him and take the throne- now, with Tufani's help. Can Mufasa face both of them at once?**


	5. The many, many Raindrops

**Chapter 5 - The many, many Raindrops.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

Rafiki's funeral, unlike Zazu's the day before, happened in total silence. Mafasa was far too struck to deliver any speaches, and all of us mourned together with him.

Having lost his friend and trusted advisor, the king was totally confused. He was hardly able to speak to anyone after the burial, and Sarabi had to spend some time in private with him to persuade her mate to adress his pride.

The decissions of that day's council were simple- carry on with the hunt, double the survailance to assure security, and make sure no one leaves Pride Rock without the presence of another lion. Only half of the lionesses were to go to the hunting grounds that day, though. The rest were to either stay and guard the den, or to form groups in search of Tufani.

Except for Kuruma and me, that is. Mufasa had a special assignment for us to undergo- he decided it was time to inform our neighboring prides about what was going on, to warn them and announce that the king's orders were that also they should organize a hunt for the murderer. Making sure that we weren't traveling too openly, we were to visit...

Well, I must say that even in these tragic circumstances, I was pleased to hear that Mufasa wanted me to go north, to Arauna's pride, the largest one outside of the Pridelands. That was the pride from which Mufasa's mother had come when she was betrothed to king Ahadi. And it was also my home pride- for Arauna was my father.

I was supposed to tell him to inform the rest of the prides about Mufasa's decrees. After informing both of us of his will, however, the king pulled me aside and gave me a special, private mission... But I will not mention that at this point of the story, for it only becomes important much later.

It would be cynical of me to say that I was happy to go back to my old home in the midst of everything that was happening in the new one. But I did feel a cartain amount of joy- that I cannot hide. It took my deputee and me half the day to get to Lake Fuhaji- the place where I was born. It touched my heart to see its clear waters again, even though what they reflected now were rain clouds... My family welcomed me with delight, and especially my old father, who was our leader. It was a shame I had to spoil our reunion with the news I brought.

I will not speak too much about this meeting, for that is not essential to the story. What is essential is that my father sent out his lionesses to inform the other neighboring prides and organize the search for Tufani. And then, very soon after we came, we had to depart and be on our way back to Pride Rock.

We were already half way there and the sun was almost beginning to set. Careful not to attract the attention of anyone who could be a potential threat, and that our mission to the north would not be discovered, Kuruma and I have been traveling through bushes and forests. That caused us to be the more horrified when we found out that, actually, instead of in the open tract, the danger that threatened us lurked in those very bushes...

Have you ever had the feeling of being watched? It is nothing pleasant, I can tell you that. Especially when you suddenly realize that the one who's observing you is the hunter, and you've just become the prey... That sensetion had been totally alien to me, until that day. And I must say this- to realize that you are the object of somebody's hunt, and not the other way around, is something utterly shocking for a lion.

The blue-eyed predator ran at us from among the trees of the forest we were passing by... Kuruma and I recognized Tufani at once- that face has become engraved in our minds since we saw him for the first time. The only difference was that now he was no longer calm and cool in his behavior. No, he looked just like any one of us huntresses looks when she is rushing to kill another animal.

To use the word 'shock' again to describe our feeling would be pathetically insufficient.

* * *

 _(Earlier that day, at the bottom of Pride Rock...)_

The lioness named Lenah woke up suddenly, her heart pounding. She was extremely angry with herself.

Oh no! How could I have fallen asleep? - she scolded her own carelesness in spirit. Her shift of guarding the den came right after the hunt, so it seemed that her full stomach, the fact that it just stopped raining and that she had hardly any sleep for the past two days, having to take care of the cubs, must have all caused her to doze off before she was even able to notice.

The lioness looked at the sun. It was in the mid-afternoon. She probably slept for at least an hour... Terribly embarrassed, she rose to sit and started looking around. To her surprise, just a few yards from where she was, she saw her little daughter, Kula, lying on the ground.

The poor cub must have noticed her sleeping from the top of the rock, and then snuck out to lie down by her mother's side...

-Kula, dear, what are you doing here? - she said, approaching the cub and touching her delicately with her nose. - You have to wake up now. You know you can't stay outside! C'mon, I need to take you back into the den...

Then Lenah froze. Despite the lioness' touch, her daughter wasn't moving.

* * *

 _(At night, somewhere in the Outlands...)_

Scar has been looking for any trace of the rogue lion for many hours now. He walked all the way from the Elephant Graveyard in the north to this barren place beyond the southern border of the Pridelands where he found himself now, asking questions to whatever carnivore he met on the way- but all to no avail. He had no one to ask in the deserted Outlands, though. The only creatures that lived here were termites. The lion was inspecting the area around their mounds for pawprints and the like, but finding none, he was slowly becoming very weary of the task.

These damn things are going to infest my fur! - he grumbled, sitting down on the ground and skratching his back. - This search it taking longer than I thought. I hope the hyenas were more successful, at least for once...

Then, as if his thoughts materialized before his very eyes, he heard Shenzi's voice somewhere in the distance.

-Scar! Hey Scar! Ya here? - the echo said.

-I am! Follow my voice.

When they finally found each other, Shenzi, panting heavily, explained that one of her scouts was able to discover trace of a rogue lion just beyond the northern border of the Pridelands. Scar wasn't very happy of the fact that he just came from there, seeing nothing on the way himself, and now had to go back... But, well, at least their long game of hide-and-seek was over.

The hyena took him to the bottom of a tall rocky hill where Banzai, Ed and another male of their pack were hiding. Upon seeing Scar, the grunt stood up straight and saluted.

-Greetings, sir! About two hour ago, I saw a lone lion climbing to the other side of this hill. He was alone.

His boss nodded with approval.

-Excellent work. You are dismissed. As for you three- stay here and let me do the talking!

With the scout gone and the trio watching him intensively from behind, Scar started to slowly walk toward the top of the hill. Time to pull the string and set the puppet in motion- he said in his spirit. Mufasa better beware...

Gazing carefully over the summit of the hill, he wasn't able to see anything at first. When his eyes got used to the darkness, however (the night was rainy and cloudy, and no light of stars or the moon was visible), Scar saw some strange lights flickering in the distance...

What are those? - he asked himself. He lifted his head a little higher, and...

-Oh my.

He was finally able to recognize that the lights were actually eyes. Lion eyes. Dozens of pairs of them.

A rapid cold seized Scar's heart, that had nothing to do with the rain. He just rezlized the truth. _There is not just one lion. There is a whole pride of intruders_...

He had never seen a pride of lions that large. There were many more members than even at Pride Rock. Scar was able to distinguish at least four, maybe five males...

And then one pair of eyes, a blue one, moved suddenly. It was the more frightening that the eyes moved in his direction. 'Bloody excellent. They've spotted me' - Scar cursed his own lack of caution.

- _KUTOA CHOCHOTE! -_ a voice as cold as ice called loudly, as if making a demand. He had heard that voice before...

 _'Kutoa chochote_? That means _give nothing_. But what the hell does he mean by that?' - Scar wondered. For a very, very short while. For, not hearing an answer, the lion who asked the question growled, what immediately sent the whole invader pride to their feet. And to attack.

Scar's eyes went wide. Terrified, he sprung from the ground and started an immediate retreat.

Sitting and waiting at the bottom of the hill, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had about a quarter of a second to notice their boss, and understand what the pale, frightened look on his face meant. And to hear his words, which assured them of the need for a fast escape.

- _Run_... - Scar yelled at them, dashing throught the wall of rain, as fast as he could. - RUN, YOU IDIOTS!

And then the pursuit began.

* * *

 **AN: Three scenes, three situations, three lives in danger... But Tufani only said he will kill** _ **one**_ **animal a day.**

 **So who will be able to escape the cold embrace of death? Will Malaika and Kuruma, who have Tufani on their tail, survive the hunt of which they're the victims? Is Scar, who has made his frighteneing discovery, going to have to pay for it with his life? And what about Kula, the innocent cub we know from semi-canon TLK comic books?**

 **Tufani is everybody's enemy now, and that means no one is safe.**


	6. The Cold

**Chapter 6 - The Cold.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

With Tumani right on our tails, Kuruma and I ran as if our lives depended on it- as, obviously, they did. It didn't take us long to understand that the invader wanted to make one of us his victim for the day, this time striking the king by killing one of his own kind.

I had thought that I've experienced fear in my life before. That day I found out that I was wrong. Feeling Tumani's massive paws hitting the ground, imagining that huge mouth of his biting me, made me feel what real fear is. The only thing I was able to say to Kuruma was- _let's split_. And when I saw that we were both running in different directions, I must confess, I totally forgot about my deputy, focusing on the only thing I could think of- saving my own life.

In the split second I had to make the decision, I chose to run through the forest. It wasn't the best idea... In my blind haste, I was running through puddles of water and mud that had gathered everywhere because of the rains. Also, the thick plant life was slowing me down and I cut myself several times in the face and chest.

Until I finally ran out of that bloody forest, I was unaware if anyone was following me or not. Then I turned around once... There was nobody running behind me who exited the thicket. And so it was when I turned around a second time. I slowed down... And then totally stopped.

Then I thought- he must have gone after Kuruma! Malaika, you stupid lioness- I scolded myself. What kind of pridesister was I? In a panic, I started calling her name and ran toward where I thought she'd gone during her own run for life.

How happy were we when we finally found each other, both of us safe and sound! We fell into each other's embrace... But then, looking around, we made sure that no lion was there any more. It was completely odd. It seemed as if Tufani abandoned his desire to chase us- for I doubt that each of us would ever be able to outrace him.

Startled and confused, we returned to Pride Rock. And then we found out the reason we were still alive. It was because Tufani had already committed his crime for the day.

The feeling of having lost somebody from our pride who was still there just yesterday proved to be worse even than the one of having to run for our lives, as Kuruma and I agreed. Especially that it was just an innocent cub... Oh, poor Kula!

When we came back, everybody seemed close to despair and somebody explained to us that Lenah found her daughter, whose neck had been broken, herself. That it happened when she fell asleep while guarding the pride. Mufasa had made Lenah personally responsible for defending the cubs just the other day. If somebody else's cub had died, the guilty lion would have been sorely punished... but since it was Lenah's own daughter who was killed, the king considered that, apart from stripping her of all her prerogatives, to be a sufficient punishment, and refused to speak to her. The other lionesses who had also been on duty when the tragic event happened were to be punished after the whole crisis had ended.

Pride Rock was dead silent that night, apart from the cries of the cubs. I saw Sarafina, still in pain because of her wounds, desperately trying to make her little daughter Nala stop crying... I saw Simba, who until recently had felt embarrassed when his mother tried to give him a bath, now clenching to Sarabi's fur like on the day he was born...

And then I saw the king. He had already been in deep mourning the day before that. Now his bitter sadness was replaced with blazing, furious anger. When he saw Kuruma and me, he demanded a relation of our mission to Lake Fuhaji. But when he found out that we were attacked on the way... Well, to say the least, not only the cubs were frightened by his screaming. Although I agree he had a good reason to be mad- because if Kuruma and I saw Tufani in the evening, maybe an hour after Kula was killed, how could he have moved so fast throughout the Pridelands, without being noticed? It was simply impossible! The thought made the king so mad that Sarabi was barely able to convince him to contain himself...

Mufasa apologized, and even gave Simba a hug- for the first time in long days, as was my impression. But if the invader lion could kill one of our pride, that meant that anyone could be next... I can only imagine the pressure the king felt- after all, he was responsible for the lives of everyone in his kingdom.

His final decree was that everyone was now forbidden to leave the den at Pride Rock, except with his direct permission. That was to continue even tomorrow. There was to be no hunting, what meant that we would not eat. Maybe if we were all in one place, the murderer would come and reveal himself...

But there was one problem with that plan. I heard Mufasa mentioning that to Sarabi as the last thing he said that day, before falling asleep out of sorrow and lack of rest.

 _Where is my brother?_ \- he repeated over and over, his words carrying the feelings of both anger and limitless fear...

* * *

 _(Later that night, at the Elephant Graveyard...)_

Scar, being as slim as he was, could run fast for a lion- much faster than the hyenas. And even though he would get tired quickly, that night he ran until his lungs burned with live fire...

When he reached the Graveyard, he could barely walk and dragged his paws behind. Entering the safe haven finally, he collapsed straight to the ground.

There was now little oxygen in his blood, so the first thing he focused on was breathing. He didn't even notice Shenzi, Banzai and Ed entering their domain behind his back, alive, but just as tired as he was.

It took some time before anyone was able to speak. The first things said were complaints about aching joints and burning muscles. Then Ed laughed, although it didn't seem he really meant it. Finally, Shenzi shook her head and addressed Scar.

-I thought... I thought there was just one lion... - she said, breathing heavily.

Their boss didn't answer for a while, and the only sign that told them he was alive as he lied on the ground were his rapidly moving ribs. But then he rolled to his back, wiping the rain water off his face.

-So did I... - he huffed, too tired to even be angry.

It took several minutes before he could sit. The first thing he did afterwards, was to give an order.

-Shenzi, you must gather your pack. We need everyone you can get. We have to attack while they still haven't moved...

The hyena opened her mouth in an expression of disbelief.

- _'Scuse me?_ \- she asked.

Banzai kicked the air with his foot and snored. He was sleeping. Scar sent the female a little more serious look...

-Didn't you hear what I said? These intruders need to _die,_ isn't it obvious to you? Tell your pack to go over there and _kill them_!

And then, probably for the first time in her life, Shenzi found the courage to contradict her lion superior. Or rather, she was more afraid of several dozen lions than just one.

-Whoah there, Scar! What you're sayin' ain't gonna happen. Did you see how _many_ lions there were? It'd be suicide!

The lion growled.

-Do you _dare_ refuse to carry out my order? Do you have _any_ idea what those rogues will do when they come here? They will not just kill my brother with a smile on their face. Imagine, if you can, what they would do to _you_ , and all of your stinking kind! Imagine what they would do to _me_!

She looked in his angry eyes seriously. She did not intend to fight with him- that was too dangerous in usual circumstances... But she _was_ the leader of her pack, responsible for their safety. And unusual cases called for unusual behaviour.

-Now don't get me wrong, boss. I like those blood-thirsty rats as much as you do. But you saw them- even with my whole pack together, we'd be dead meat. They're stronger than us. We need to think o' somethin' else... I'm sorry, but we won't help you. You're probably gonna have to go back to your pride...

Shenzi thought she would get slapped on the face for such a remark, and at first Scar looked as if he wanted to do just that... But then he noticed the fear in the female's eyes. He glared at the frightened expression of the simpleton Ed... At Banzai, drooling as he slept out of total physical and mental exhaustion...

And he let go.

-Verry well - he adressed the pack's leader, turning in the direction of the Pridelands. - But mark my words, Shenzi- you need me. And you better not forget about that. Because if you do, you hyenas are just as doomed as my own pride is.

* * *

 **AN: The next victim was a lion, and a cub. Tufani is faithful to his promise and is choosing those closer to Mufasa with every day. It's tragic, but let's not forget that in nature a lion, when he takes control of a pride, slaughters all the cubs of the former leader.**

 **Malaika and Scar were able to escape with their life. But the lioness returns to Pride Rock only to find it thrown into chaos. Mufasa, mad and afraid, doesn't know what to do any more. And now, his brother has to return home, too... Will that help the pride or not? The dark lion was abandoned by his hyenas and his plans have been shattered, but does he have a new one? Will it help the Pridelanders in their desperate position?**

 **It's time for the pride to come together again...**


	7. The lone Cloud

**Chapter 7 - The lone Cloud.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

I was awaken very late at night by a lioness whom I was supposed to replace at the guard post in front of the entrance to our den. I quickly shook off the sleepiness... I knew how serious the king's demand for vigilance was. I still had the image of Lenah, the unsuccessful guard, clear in my mind- crying in the corner, away from everyone, blaming herself for her daughter's death...

The lioness who was on duty together with me was Saphira. With her superior deprived of the old title, she had now become minister of interior affairs and the new caretaker of the cubs. We talked a little bit about how they were experiencing this... But it was all too gruesome to imagine. First, all of them were made to stay at Pride Rock for days, hearing stories about dangers that lurked right outside. Then, the stories became true when one of their playmates was suddenly found with her neck broken... With serious concern, Saphira told me that, even if this ends well somehow, the cubs are still going to remember the horrible experience until the end of their lives. I was almost happy I didn't have any cubs of my own yet at that time! Saphira just said she was happy that Simba attempted to cheer his friends up, assuring them that his father would kill the intruder. That especially meant a lot for Nala, who was still terribly hurt because of her mother nearly being killed the other day...

We finished our conversation before sunrise- it was too terrible to talk about these things for long. For the rest of the shift, we just made sure that neither of us fell asleep. The morning seemed like it was going to be a little more sunny than for the past few days. As the sunbeams illuminated the savannah, my fellow guard and I were able to see farther into the distance.

We noticed the disturbing sight basically at the same time. Approaching Pride Rock from the north, there walked a lone lion- a male. At first we wanted to alert the pride, but then we could recognize that the one who was approaching couldn't have been Tufani. Tufani had pale fur and a yellow mane, whereas this lion was darker, with a unique, black mane.

It was Scar! He'd finally returned. I sent Saphira to get Mufasa right away.

The lionesses were waiting for his arrival with smiles on their faces, happy to see that their lost pridemember was still alive. The expression on the king's face, however, was impossible for me to read...

When Scar stood in front of us, we could tell that he was totally exhausted. His back mane, for which he was known to care well, was in disarray and all wet from the rain.

Mufasa asked his brother where he'd been, unable to hide his anger. Scar only gave him a tired gaze, seemingly unaffected by the cold welcome, and answered he'd been looking for Tufani all this time. The king said it was totally irresponsible of him to do that on his own...

But then Sarabi spoke on behalf of her brother-in-law. And although she only whispered one thing in Mufasa's ear, I, being closest to the two of them, were able to hear what it was.

The queen said- _'_ _it is fit that we should be glad, for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again, he was lost, and is found'_.

Using that citation of old lore really touched my heart... Mufasa looked as if his eyes were suddenly open. He could not disrespect the same wisdom he'd always tried so hard to defend.

The tight muscles on his face loosed. 'It's good to have you back alive, brother' - he said, at last expressing what was truly going on in his heart. Then the two embraced- and that was the first time I saw them do that in years.

Scar, being tired to the limit, demanded to be given some food. Unfortunately, we had none, and also had to inform him that no hunt was going to happen that day, either... Angry and exhausted, the prince went to sleep. All of us were wondering what he'd encountered during his search. When asked that by Mufasa, all Scar said was- 'nothing'. We were soon to find out that he just said that to be left in peace, so that he could rest a bit.

Scar woke up about noon... And then it all began. Firstly, he demanded to know what's been going on. So we told him about Rafiki's death, and of the fact that Kula's been murdered. Then the prince went to speak to his brother, and began talking to Mufasa openly, with everyone around listening. It must have been terribly awkward for Mufasa, but Scar actually asked the thing all of us wanted to know, but didn't have the courage to express... Namely, what were the king's ultimate plans. If he wanted to accept Tufani's challenge, that is.

The question created an uproar. Many members of the pride, and especially Simba, surrounded the king and encouraged him to do just that. Others were arguing amongst each other. Then there were those like Sarabi, who begged him to find some other solution...

After a few minutes of this, Mufasa couldn't take it any more. He silenced everyone with a roar and announced that, at least for today, he still needed time to think it over. Everybody was safe, staying at Pride Rock, providing him with time to collect his thoughts. And that was it.

Hearing such an answer, Scar snorted with visible disdain for the king's way of thinking. He did that with all of us watching, defying the king's authority. He said his brother forgot that his hesitation had already resulted in three deaths, and that there might be a fourth even today, if he didn't hurry. Mufasa repeated that everyone is safe at Pride Rock, to what his brother retorted with giving the example of Kula's death under our very noses just yesterday...

It turned into a brotherly argument- similar to the ones we remembered from the times when the two brothers were younger, but longer and more violent, due to the circumstances. Some things that have been ignored with silence for a long time suddenly sprang out, and the mutual accusations that Mufasa and Scar had against one another saw the light of day.

I won't relate to you the whole record of the argument (it was way too long), but I'll try to give you an idea of what it was all about. In short, Scar accused his brother of showing incompetence as a ruler. He said he should have accepted Tufani's challenge from the very beginning, thus preventing innocent blood from being spilled. Mufasa denied, saying that he'd done all he could to protect his pride, and that it was necessary to find the invader first. On his side, he accused Scar of not joining the pride's search for the murderer. The prince repeated that was exactly what he'd been doing all along, and then said that maybe Mufasa should confess that he just doesn't feel strong enough to face Tufani...

Now that remark cut the king deep. In front of the whole pride, he then finally delivered his promise to face the invader as soon as they would find him. Scar was visibly pleased- it was as if he tried to irritate his brother to make him make up his mind quicker...

But Mufasa also repeated that Tufani's been almost impossible to find- that he never leaves a trace after an attack, and that, as the events of yesterday show, it almost looks like he can be in two places at the same time.

Afterwards, Scar revealed his secret. And I'll tell you that it caused quite the stir amongst our ranks. The prince told us that not only me and Kula were attacked on the day prior- and that it was also him who barely escaped death. Not because there was just one killer who could be in several places at the same time, but because there was a whole group of killers- Tufani's pride, with dozens of members, amongst which any one could be hiding somewhere in the shadows of the Pridelands...

Everyone was seized by a new wave of fear. Sarabi assured us that Tufani would hopefully honour his agreement and just face Mufasa alone, and that his lions would leave in peace if he lost. But Mufasa was strangely silent... Scar asked him about the reason, and then the king, with a heavy guilt in his voice, revealed that he'd heard gossip about a pride of rogues, called the 'Raiders', who travelled from place to place, invading other lands. He'd always thought that those were only rumours, but now he considered that maybe, if he had listened to them, he would have been able to prepare for their coming.

Everybody else, however, dismissed those thoughts as useless worrying. Even Scar agreed that the coming of Tufani and his 'Raiders' could not have been prevented. That made Mufasa feel a bit better. But what he also knew was that now was the time to act, and that we needed to do something soon...

Scar offered to take Mufasa to where he was attacked by the invader lions. Although reluctantly, Mufasa agreed, but also declared that he would not fight immediately. He intended to demand of Tufani to stop killing and to set up a date for a duel. With that, the brothers took five lionesses (I wasn't in the group) and left toward the north. All of us who stayed behind waited in anticipation... And boy, was it a difficult wait. But the party came back after a couple of hours, angry, saying that there was no longer anyone there... The whole pride was very disappointed.

In the end, we decided to all go to sleep, hoping that the shelter of Pride Rock would protect us for at least that night.

But I couldn't fall asleep that night. Whenever I closed my eyes, I was either seeing Tufani running right behind me, wanting to break my neck, or hearing the cries of little Kula. I felt awful. I wanted to go outside and get a little fresh air, but then I heard a whisper from one of the side caverns of the cave.

'Didn't the king prohibit anyone from leaving?' - asked the voice. - 'No lion died today, at least not yet, but I think this can still change if you're not careful'.

It was Scar, and of course I recognized that, in his own specific way, he was joking. I went over to my old cubhood friend and we started talking. I always felt sort of a bond between him and me. His mother and my father were related, and even though so was Mufasa, the king looked more like Ahadi, whereas the colour of Scar's fur reminded me of the members of my old pride, back at Lake Fuhaji. I explained to him that I just wanted to go out for a short moment to see if our guards weren't asleep... It was dark humour, I know, but he laughed nonetheless. I guess both of us needed a relief from the seriousness of our present situation.

I mentioned that he was still sleeping in his old spot, the same one he used to occupy when he was younger. The prince answered that it was hard to get rid of old customs... I asked him why he still wanted to distance himself from the pride, assuring that he would be welcome if he decided to sleep closer to the rest of us. Well, according to him, he still wasn't totally welcome. Then we began remembering the old times, back when both of us were cubs- the days of king Ahadi and his reign... I knew well that Scar, whose name was still Taka at that time, felt rejected after their father began training Mufasa to be a king in the future.

Well, expressing my private opinion, and not to criticize any of our kings' ways of ruling the land, I said that he had full right to demand an equal amount of attention as his brother. I even used the word 'love', but I think it made Scar feel a bit bad, judging from the distaste I could see in his eyes. He said with a sigh that it was already too late for that.

Well, I disagreed. I thought that now, when the pride needed both of them and when they were finally together, was a perfect moment for Scar and Mufasa's mutual relations to be repaired. The prince snorted, saying that Mufasa's been doing 'fine' without him, and didn't even bother to look for him.

After years of living with him, I could both sense and not be fooled by Scar's habitual sarcasm. And I knew that, whenever people didn't get angry at him or play along with it, but spoke to him seriously, after some time, he would drop his cynical humour and start listening. His mother used to do that all the time when she was still alive... So, trying to sound really serious, I told Scar that he had no idea how much the king had been worrying if he was okay for the past few days. I said that, as Mufasa was scouring the Pridelands in search for Tufani, he was also intensively looking and asking around for his brother. That I even overheard him saying he didn't know what he would do if he lost him...

All of the above were facts, and even though Scar seemed unaffected, I could sense that he was surprised. True, Mufasa was hard with expressing his real feelings to him... But I was sure that he would show them someday. Then the prince shared with me his firm expectation that the king's devotion would be proved in his victory over Tufani. Both of us agreed on that. To assure Scar of my own hope, I quoted another passage of old lore- a proverb that said _'blessed are those who yearn and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied'_.

Hearing these words had an effect on him I'm not sure I am able to describe. He said it was one on his father's old sayings... I think mentioning that made him feel a mixture of different things. To get rid of the awkward mood, I encouraged Scar to give his brother a chance. He answered that he better do a good job in bringing forth the 'justice' I just mentioned...

But he trusted him. I knew it, even though he was trying to hide it. Even if Scar wasn't ready to love his brother just yet, he was beginning to see that the king could actually do him some good. To ignite that feeling, I said that Mufasa also needed him. The prince snorted again, but I was stubborn. I said- 'if you want Mufasa to win, you've got to show him your support'. Giving another sarcastic remark, he asked if he should do that with organizing the lionesses into a group of cheerleaders during his fight with Tufani... Taking up the joke, I answered that, for now, he could take care of something small- like cubsitting, for instance.

We laughed. We both knew that it was highly unlikely he would do that... Then again, on a more serious note, Scar agreed to show his brother a sign of benevolence by taking up guard duty tomorrow. _Maybe._

It was a good conversation, and we parted in peace. It felt so good to regain my old friend again... On my way back to my sleeping spot, I just prayed that Mufasa would now regain a brother.

* * *

 **AN: Some of you might be surprised that I'm using elements of Christian morality and quotes from Scripture in this story. But remember that the characters of TLK are intelligent, talking animals. And if creatures could talk, I think they would tell us something about their Creator.**

 **Sarabi and Malaika are trying to use these moral principles to bring Mufasa and Scar together. After all, it were the sins of pride and jealousy that created the clash between them in the first place. We shall see if these actions will bring any success.**


	8. The Echo of a distant Tempest

**Chapter 8 - The Echo of a distant Tempest.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

I was almost about to fall asleep when we heard the warning call of one of our guards outside. Oh well... The lioness ran into the den and told Mufasa that there was somebody here, demanding to speak with Scar.

But it was no ordinary visitor. It was a female hyena...

Well, I thought- the cat's finally out of the bag now. For years all of us have been accusing Scar, who did not stick with the pride any more when he became an adult, of contacts with those creatures, what was strictly forbidden. Of course, he always denied having anything to do with them... until that night.

Now first things first. Some of you might be wondering why did king Mufasa hate the hyenas so much. After all, he exiled them to the Elephant Graveyard, even though during the reign of his father, king Ahadi, hyenas were permitted to hunt in the Pridelands just like any other predator. Well, let me tell you a story that might clear thing up for you...

* * *

 _(Years earlier...)_

Somewhere in the Pridelands, in the middle of the savannah, there laid a skeleton. By now, as it had been exactly twelve hours since the animal died, it was almost impossible to determine whom the bones had belonged to. There was no more meat on them- and, for some reason, the skull was totally missing.

A short distance from the corpse, there was a rock- a rock with a grey ear sticking out of it. But the ear wasn't part of the rock- it was attached to someone who was hiding on the other side of it.

Suddenly, from the stony monument there also grew out a head- with black hair and fur and whiskers. And a big black nose, that was sniffing. It was the head of a hyena.

Slowly and carefully, the hyena, who was a young female, leaned forward from its hideout, and then jumped toward the pile of bones, crouching. It stealthily crawled a little closer, and then...

- _EY BANZAI! ED!_ The coast is clear!

In a flash, two more hyenas jumped out of nowhere. One of them, having been forced to stay silent for a long while, couldn't stop laughing now.

-Hah! Well, would ya look at this - said the other hyena named Banzai, licking his lips as he approached with Ed, his not-totally-sane friend.

The hyenas were happy, because although the meat from the cadaver was long gone, the bones haven't been chewed on and there was still marrow in them. That might have not been much of a meal, but it was a tasty snack- kind of like eating Cheetos. Plus, it was good for you.

-Hey Eddy, catch! - Shenzi said, throwing a bone for the one who probably became the reason for their species to be named ' _laughing_ hyenas'. With a maniacal giggle, the creature ran, jumped, caught the bone in mid-air, and then politely brought it back to the female, wagging its tail.

-Good boy! Goood Ed! - she praised him, trying to take the bone from his teeth. But he was holding it like his life depended on it... - Hey! Give it _back_! C'mon, Ed! Let go! _Leeeet... goooo...!_

-Hey, shut up you two! - Banzai silenced them, suddenly. His long ears quickly sprung up.

-What is it? - Shenzi whispered. Ed stopped laughing and let go of his precious bone, making it fall to the ground.

The other male looked around carefully.

-Smell that? It's a _lion_... - he explained.

The two others quickly jumped toward him and they formed a circle, each gazing in another direction, trying to spot whichever big feline decided to approach them. The presence of lions usually meant trouble for hyenas. Usually...

-Oh! There he is! - Shenzi pointed toward something, abandoning her careful pose. The two males turned that way.

A young lion with a short black mane came out of the tall grass, looking at the hyenas intensively. But there was something unusual about the glare of his eyes, one of which was disfigured by an only recently healed scar. Was it... a touch of sadness?

-Oh, it's only Ta... uh, I mean, it's our buddy Scar! - Banzai said with relief. Ed laughed. The three of them bowed their heads.

-All hail the prince! - Shenzi uttered with imitated reverence. But when Scar didn't react, all of them became a bit confused. - Ey, uh... Is everything okay?

The lion shook his head, kicked Ed's bone far toward the horizon, and closed his eyes. He wasn't being his usual self, and they were about to find out why.

-No, _nothing_ is okay... - Scar said, breathing deeply. He walked in a circle, as if terribly troubled. The hyenas had a hard time figuring out if he was angry, sad, or confused.

-Er, what is it? You can tell us, you know... - Banzai attempted a consoling tone. But then Scar looked him in the eyes with anger, making him flinch.

- _What_ , do you mean to tell me you don't know? Do you take me for a _fool_?

The trio gazed at each other, each looking just as startled as the other. Banzai shrugged, Ed stuck his tongue out to show he had no idea, either... Only Shenzi decided to keep asking.

-Uhm, know 'bout what, Scar?

Hearing what she said, he shook his short mane again, sat down and lowered his head to the ground. Was he about to... cry? No. Not him, it was impossible.

-My father is dead... - spoke the lion, his fangs clenched tightly.

The hyenas all, in a unison, gasped with genuine shock. True, old king Ahadi was not exactly their friend... But seeing that Scar had just lost his parent was making them feel really bad for him.

-Gosh, Scar. We're sorry... - Shenzi spoke to him as softly as she could. - What happened?

All of a sudden, Scar charged at them with a roar that nearly scared the trio out of their wits. They jumped back with a yelp, but fortunately he was able to control himself and didn't attack.

-What _happened_? You have the audacity to ask me... Oh, curse you dogs!

He made another awkward circle, groaned, and then said-

-It was _your brethren_ that killed him. He was just found a few hours ago by the eastern border... Slain. By hyenas.

Now that was something that struck Shenzi, Banzai and Ed like a lightning bolt. Stupefied, all they could do was to keep gazing at Scar, who wiped a tear away as fast as it appeared so that they would not see. And then he growled at them again.

-I want you to tell me... No, I _demand_ you to _promise_ me that neither you, nor your clan, had _anything_ to do with this!

He was being extremely serious. The trio gave each other a look of understanding. For the past couple of months, Scar was becoming increasingly weary of his father's attitude toward him, and complained a lot about being neglected in favour of Mufasa- the king's heir. Scar must have thought that, maybe, they took that as a sign that they should _get rid of_ Ahadi for him...

Shenzi gave Banzai one of her 'I'll do the talking' looks.

-Scar - she began. - If it happened near the _eastern_ border, it couldn't have been us. We spent last night with our pack by the watering hole, and as far as I know, they're all still over there. And you know that's too far away. We had nothin' to do with it, honest! It musta been Shekina's pack- you know, those scavengers from the Outlands. They always had a problem with Aha...

Scar interrupted her, still speaking through clenched teeth.

-I will believe you for now. But _if you are lying to me..._

The trio saw Scar's teeth, and the wound over one of his blood-shot eyes, right in front of their noses. They knew what came after that _if_... All of them put their paws on their hearts (Shenzi and Banzai their right ones, Ed- his left).

-We swear! - they vowed.

Finally, Scar stopped growling at them. Walking a few steps away, he sat down and gazed at the dirt.

Feeling bad for their leader, Banzai attempted to console him. But he did it in such a way that Shenzi gave him a scolding look.

-Hey, but... uh... Isn't this, in the end, good news for ya? I mean, it's tough to lose a dad and all... But since you weren't close together, anyway... _Oou!_ \- he was cut off when the female bit him in the tail.

A deep sigh was then heard.

-It is too bad - Scar began, slowly and sorrowfully. - It is too bad that my father's passing had to happen before he was able to repair all of his mistakes first... Now, there is no chance for reconciliation.

This time, Shenzi decided it was her turn to attempt to deliver condolences.

-Man, we're really sorry for ya, boss... How did queen Uru take it?

Scar lifted his head, but didn't look at them. His expression became completely blank, deprived of any kind of emotion.

-Bad - he answered.

A heavy, difficult silence followed. Not knowing how to react, the hyenas looked at each other again. The only one to do anything, however, was Ed. He came up to the corpse that was still lying nearby, picked out a big bone (probably one he'd been wanting to take for himself), went over to the lion, and put the bone at his feet. Scar gazed at him from above, as the hyena gave him a sad, compassionate look of his simple, dim-witted eyes...

-And as for you... - began the lion, silently. Then he laid down, grabbed the bone, cracked it with his fangs and started chewing it, absent-mindedly. - Do you have any idea of what happens now?

-No. What? - Banzai answered before anyone could meditate on the question well enough.

-Of course you don't... - Scar took another bite at the femur, creating a loud, cracking sound. - Well, let me enlighten your unoccupied minds, then. My father's death means that, according to the order of succession, the king of the Pridelands is now Mufasa, my older brother...

He left the bone and looked straight at them.

-... and do you know what is the new king's first decree?

The trio shook their heads... although they had a vague feeling that it was nothing good.

-Because of the way your species treated our father, Mufasa has decided to exile all hyenas from the Pridelands. That means that all hunting, travelling, and even remaining within the borders of the kingdom is fully illegal for you, starting today.

A gasp of unbelief filled the air.

- _What?_ But we just told you- we had nothin' to do with it! - Shenzi and Banzai said the same thing at once. Ed nodded energetically.

The prince gave them a look of cold sincerity.

-That doesn't matter. My brother has decided not to be discriminating- he is banishing _all_ hyenas, whether guilty or not.

-But... but that's not fair!

-Yes, you're right. It's not - Scar abandoned his bone and rose, coming up close to the frightened trio. - Although, I strongly advise you to obey. I came here to warn you. If my brother sees you in his kingdom, he will _not_ hesitate to interfere. And believe me, you don't want that to happen...

Now a shiver ran down the three hyenas' backs and everybody's faces became long. Ed yelped like a frightened kitten, Banzai had a really angry expression.

-But in that case... where should we go? - Shenzi asked, a clear note of confusion in her voice.

Scar answered, looking at her.

-Simple. Anywhere away from the Pridelands. I suggest finding your pack before they depart, leaving you behind. I suppose they'll go somewhere where they can find enough carrion to survive.

-Yeah, we better move fast! - Banzai agreed, suddenly realizing the seriousness of the situation. He grabbed the other male's tail and started pulling him. - C'mon Ed, we don't have time for bones any more!

-Will... erm, will you come visit us? - Shenzi asked Scar, just as they were about to go.

The young prince laid down on the ground again, and took the femur in between his paws.

-Well, you _did_ promise you had no part in my father's death... Give me a few days. I'll find you.

The hyenas didn't say anything else. They understood their boss needed some time alone now. And besides, they also had to go figure a way out of this hole they suddenly found themselves in.

As the three of them were walking toward the setting sun, Scar kept licking the marrow out of his bone, his thoughts drifting far away...

* * *

 **AN: This story follows the events of 'The Tale of two Brothers', but the idea of hyenas being the cause of king Ahadi's death is mine. Why? Because it makes sense- why else would Mufasa hate them so much? It had to come from somewhere. But the question is- what's he going to do with his hyena-loving brother?  
**


	9. The Watering of the dry Soil

**Chapter 9 - The Watering of the dry Soil.**

* * *

 _(Pride Rock, late at night...)_

* * *

-It's a _what?_ \- the king asked the guard with an angry voice. Behind his back, the rest of the pride could hear Scar sighing.

-Oh, there we go...

The lioness that had just run into the den repeated her report.

-There is a female hyena at the bottom of Pride Rock, demanding to speak with prince Scar.

The king's eyes turned toward his brother. The younger lion knew exactly what the older one would say and why, yet again, he was very angry with him.

-So, it is true, after all! - Mufasa began, narrowing his eyes. - For years you have been denying the accusations of your contacts with the hyenas, but now you can't do that anymore, can you?

The king thought he had Scar cornered, and was forcing him to make an awkward confession in front of the whole pride just like his brother did with him just a couple of hours earlier. But even despite that, the younger lion didn't bat an eyelash- he stood there totally calm, with no emotion that would show a sign of inner disturbance or fear.

-Yes, I do have contacts with the hyenas. And yes, I have been hiding it for years. But I suppose you're the only one from among this pride who didn't know that somewhere deep inside... and the only one who will really make a big fuss out of it now.

Touché.

-Do you think lying to the king is a small matter? - Mufasa confronted his brother, showing even more anger.

-In these circumstances, yes, I think it is small compared to other things we're facing. But since Shenzi is already here, I request that you permit her to have her audience with me. _Your majesty._

Instead of noticing the thick sarcasm, Mufasa concentrated on the name his brother mentioned.

- _Shenzi?_ Who's Shenzi?

- _Uh,_ the leader of the hyena pack, of course... - Scar rolled his eyes. - You exiled them, but you could at least remember the names of your subjects.

-You know _damn well_ why I exiled them!

The king reacted unusually brutally, what made some of the lionesses gasp (Sarabi covered Simba's ears). But the subject was touchy. Everyone gathered round the arguing brothers to see what would happen...

Now was Scar's time to speak.

-For your information, Shenzi and her pack had _nothing_ to do with our father's death, Mufasa.

-And what makes you so sure of that?

-There were more hyena packs in the Pridelands than just hers when that happened. And besides, I have spent a lot of time with those creatures. I know their every move, and they do nothing without me knowing it.

This time, Mufasa attempted to be sarcastic.

-So you've become the prince of thieves and scoundrels? Should we title you as the Hyena King from now on?

Scar didn't like that malicious remark. Everyone could hear a low growl forming in his throat... But he held it back and started speaking calmly.

-Now let me reveal one thing to you, brother, which I see you are missing here. Outcast creatures have feelings too, you know. Since you've made the hyenas live in that barren wasteland of the Elephant Graveyard, they started to suffer. Without proper help and leadership, I doubt they would have survived.

The king looked at him suspiciously. _Outcast creatures_? Was he talking about the hyenas, or himself?

-Do you mean to tell me _you've_ been the one who's been... caring for them?

-And who else would? You banned them for entering the Pridelands, so I used to bring them food. That kept their thievish hunting rades to a minimum.

Mufasa went silent. He seemed to be thinking over this new perspective and a side of his brother he hadn't known before... But before he was able to say anything, Scar continued his discourse.

-And now, as you probably understand, the hyenas are just as in danger as we are. If Tufani takes over the Pridelands, Shenzi's pack will be treated even worse than under your reign. They know that, and they are afraid- just like us. This is why you _must_ let me speak to her.

The kings still hesitated to deliver his answer, what had everyone around waiting for him to speak. Thinking of a hyena at Pride Rock still made him see his father's maimed corpse all those years ago... But were all hyenas the same? Despite everything, they were animals too, after all... And Scar... He was still his brother.

-Fine - Mufasa said finally. - Go. But be quick.

The younger lion smiled just as he always did when he wanted to say something ironic.

- _Ah_ , the king has spoken wisely. And I didn't even have to insist for too long.

* * *

The lion and the hyena met at the bottom of Pride Rock. That was the first time in their lives they were standing there together. It had just started to rain again...

Shenzi had her head down when Scar stood before her. He liked her submission- it was as if she acknowledged that he was right all along. But his content lasted for a very brief while.

-You came faster than I thought - he said to her. - You must have an important reason.

She did. Lifting up her head and combing her hair back to uncover her face, Shenzi looked at Scar with eyes red from crying. It was very hard for her to deliver the gruesom message which she carried.

-They killed Ed, Scar. They broke his neck...

The lion felt something strange hearing those words. Was he really sorry for that poor, retarded hyena that always annoyed the life out of him? He'd known Ed for years, after all... His own reaction surprised him.

Scar abandoned his dominant pose. He put his paw on Shenzi's shoulder, and held it tightly.

-I am sorry for your loss.

The hyena sobbed, but turned her face away, embarrased. She pulled her nose, wiped the tears away, and looked into the lion's eyes- this time with deep, vengeful anger.

-The pack wants Tufani dead. I've declared war on those murderous bastards...

-You did the right thing coming to me - Scar said. - I shall give you what you desire.

Then he came back to Pride Rock. And told his brother he wanted to go with Shenzi to meet with her pack.

-Out of the question! - answered the king. - Do you think I'll let you go out there? With a hyena?

The prince sighed. His sudden sadness surprised even Mufasa.

-I am afraid that, in spite of us being here, Tufani did manage to get his victim for the day... One of the hyenas was murdered tonight. It seems that, bored with going after the ones dear to you, he switched to tormenting the other brother now.

The king said he was sorry, but he still wouldn't let Scar risk his own life that night. That made the younger lion very angry.

-Don't you understand? They are alone over there, in that damned graveyard! Don't you have the imagination to see how similar their situation is to ours? Our pride has its Lion King, but they do not. They feel vulnerable and abandoned. Are they not still _your_ subjects? If you treat them the right way, they can be helpful- I know.

Mufasa looked at him as though he didn't quite understand what he meant.

-What are you talking about?

-I am saying that the hyenas can be of use to us. Their pack needs to be organized, but they are very numerous. You'll just have to trust me on that. I have a plan. Wouldn't you like to see them fighting against the invader? Don't you want them on your side instead of the other way around? Because I am on their side.

-But are you on mine? - asked the king.

Scar took a deep breath. He had to think over what he wanted to answer. This meant a change of a lot of carefully devised plans and old, persistent attitudes.

-Let me go with the hyenas. Then I will make them fight for you. And I will join them in the fight.

Mufasa nodded affirmatively.

This was a mutual agreement- a step forward on both the brothers' behalf. But the king also said:

-Don't go there alone. Take a lioness to accompany you.

Scar looked around, then pointed at one of the females.

-How about her? Malaika, come with me. If you're not afraid, that is...

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

When Scar asked me to accompany him and the leader of the hyenas to the Elephant Graveyard, I was totally surprised. First of all, of all the females, why did he choose me? I doubt it was because of my rank within the pride. Maybe it was because of our conversation earlier that night? I still don't know for sure.

Furthermore, I've never been to the dreaded abode of the hyenas before, and was reluctant to travel there on a cold, rainy night. But matters of state depended on it. And, I must also admit- I wanted to do it for Scar.

What I saw when we finally got there gave me quite the fright. I was asking myself- how can Scar just walk through this place as though it were his home? But then I figured- it must have been like that for years. I even felt sorry for the hyenas who had to live in this rocky canyon, filled with nothing but dry bones and fumes from strange fiery geysers...

On the way, Scar explained to me that Shenzi, the hyena leader, came to him with a request for help because Tufani had killed one of her friends. I aksed him if he knew the murdered hyena also, and he said that he did- since he was young. If he felt any sorrow for that loss, he didn't show it. I suppose he had to, but he just kept a straight face in preparation for what was about to happen...

As we entered deeper into the area of the Graveyard and ascended something like a large cliff from which Scar was to adress Shenzi's pack, I could already clearly hear the way the hyenas mourned for their dead comrade. Their choir of gruesome howls echoed among the rocks, demonic shapes danced on the walls, illuminated by the greenish glow of the volcanic fire... If it weren't for the lion who was leading me, I would have undoubtedly ran away.

But Scar sat on top of the cliff undisturbed. Looking from behind his back, I finally saw the dreaded cretures whom the king had exiled so long ago. I counted at least a hundred of them! Having mutiplied and gathered all together on the stone plateau, males, females and cubs, the hyenas were a sight to behold. It were those creatures that Scar had come to make our allies.

At first, the hyenas were bunched up in an ugly inferno, a formless mass of grey bodies whose frenzied howling reached the very heavens. All that, plus the pouring rain, really made me feel unsure of my reason for coming here...

After looking at the pack for a while silently, Scar nodded at Shenzi, who was sitting by his side, though a little lower. She began screaming toward her subjects to make them settle down:

- _ORDER! ORDER_!

That caught everyone's attention. Looking in her direction, and seeing Scar on top of the hill, the sound the hyenas made became less horrific and more cheerful. Actually, to my surprise, I noticed that the chaotic group began dividing itself into rows.

A few minutes later, one chant became dominant, until it was finally taken up by all of the crazed crowd. The chant was:

-SCAR! SCAR! SCAR!

Oh my goodness, I thought. All this time, we suspected that our friend had some relation with that cast away species... but I'm sure that no one from among my pridemembers had an idea of who Scar really was to the hyenas. And he was... their master. Their captain. And now, they acclaimed him as their _hope._

-SCAR! SCAR! SCAR!

The unison chanting continued, and the hyenas now stood in a perfect order. I looked toward the one whose name they were screaming- Scar stood upright, his head lifted high, his black mane wet from the rain, glowing like a piece of obsidian, and blown around by the strong wind. His green eyes gleaming like the volcanic fire pitts below...

He was the Hyena King, towering over his subjects. I must say I was very impressed.

The younger one of Ahadi's sons showed to everyone there and to me that leadership abilities were in his blood just as much as in his brother's, proving all those who had doubted Scar's abilities utterly wrong. First, he looked at Shenzi again, giving the sign that he wanted to speak. The female lifted her paw, the chanting died down... I don't know if I will be able to recreate the speach Scar then delivered perfectly, but I'll do my best.

-Inhabitants of the Elephant Graveyard, members of the hyena kind - he began. His voice roared within the canyon, lifting over the dozens of straight rows of grey heads that were turned in his direction. - Your cries of mourning have reached me even as far as Pride Rock. I know of your lamentable loss- the loss of a life from among your numbers...

The new wave of woeful howls that followed was so strong that Shenzi had to order everyone to calm down again. Only then could Scar continue.

-All of you are aware of my compassion for you, and I trust it will not surprise you when I say that your loss fills me with sorrow as well. But not only that- it fills me with furious, overwhelming anger that someone, some pathetic rogue unworthy of the name of 'lion', dared to enter these lands, killing those of various species to his heart's content- from my own kind, as well as yours.

Another concert of fury followed, even more violent than before.

-For more than two years now - continued the lion when he was finally able to speak again. - For more than two years now I have been helping you to meet your basic needs, to find food and to survive in this barren desert. But now I sense a new hunger in you- one that is deeper and more demanding of satisfaction than even the thirst for water and the desire for meat, with both of which you are so well acquainted. I know what you yearn for- that thing is _justice_. And that is exactly what I came here to give you!

Scar had the orator skills to make the hyena crowd fall into a frenzy. But he knew that those creatures needed to be controlled. This is why he used his keyword- 'justice'. If the word had been 'revenge', things might have ended much worse than they did... But my pridemember wanted a well-organized army to follow him, not a crazed mob. And this is why he whipped them into chanting what he wanted them to go after:

-JUSTICE! JUSTICE! JUSTICE - the word vibrated in the air as if it were to crack the stony walls of the canyon. Scar took a step forward, leaning over the edge of the cliff, rainwater dripping down from his mane. Then he said something that touched my heart deeper than all the rest of his exalted rhetoric. Because Scar actually remembered something which I had mentioned to him myself- something very important...

-Listen! Listen, my suffering hyenas! I know how deep is the hunger you feel. But trust me when I say to you tonight- ' _'happy are you who now yearn and thirst for justice, for you shall be satisfied'_! Over there, at Pride Rock, the very same king of the Pridelands who had once banished you from his kingdom, has now decided to alter his approach. From now on, hyenas shall no longer be considered lower beings, unworthy to be regarded as equal to other species! And so, the death of one of your kind shall have its punishment, just as the other murders that have been committed in the Pridelands by the one named Tufani and his band of invaders. They will _not_ take any more lives and they will _not_ become the masters of this land. Do you want to know why? Because the king of the Pridelands has decided to protect its inhabitants, including you, with his own life, and to challenge Tufani to a fight to the death. And he better be prepared! For having turned against us, he failed to recognize that his defeat is already upon him!

The crowd cheered in a truly dreadful way. The hyenas' animosity toward Mufasa was redirected, and flared up viciously. Peace has been established by the two sides after discovering that they had a common foe. Having achieved that, the speaker adressed his army directly.

-The only thing I have to ask of you is- will you join this cause? Will you join the alliance of hyenas and lions, for the sake of satisfying the need for justice? Will you join, so that the danger which threatens all of us can be erased from the face of the earth, once and for all?

A loud YES! was heard, and then Scar delivered his promise.

-Remain loyal and follow me. Then we shall have our victory. And after that- peace, security and prosperity.

By saying these words, he won them. And with that, also us lions won the hyenas to our side, to aid us in the upcomming battle. What followed was an avalanche of confident, triumphant shouts and cheers:

-SCAR! SCAR! SCAR! SCAR! SCAR!

The prince of the Pridelands stood in a downpour of glory.

* * *

 **AN: All hail the Hyena King! XD**

 **But seriously, this is the best thing that can be done in such a situation, according to the rule 'enemies of my enemies are my friends'. This kind of reminds me of the scene from 'Game of Thrones' where Tyrion brings the mountain tribes to fight together with the Lannisters...**

 **But what will Tywin Lannister, the Head Lion, say seeing that an alliance, and promisses, have been made behind his back?**


	10. The rapid Growth

**Chapter 10 - The rapid Growth.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

After the gathering, Scar had to take some time to speak with Shenzi, her deputy Banzai and the rest of the pack's officers, leaving me alone with the hyenas... It was then that I understood perfectly that we rather have these creatures as our friends, and was deeply thankful to the prince for turning them to our side.

The members of the hyena army, counting over a hundred, didn't take kindly to any lions other than Scar. But since Shenzi ordered them to treat us as guests, I was left alone and, apart from a lot of suspicious glares, even received something to eat. The meat was old but, thankfully, not rotten, and I lied down to have my late dinner a little away from the rest of the pack.

It stopped raining and I even enjoyed my stay at the Graveyard, especially because of the presence of a cetrain female hyena. Her name was Zena and, since she had two of her own tiny cubs with her, she stuck at the back of everyone (she explained to me that male hyenas could be dangerous to the cubs). Between me and her it wasn't, in the strictest sense of the word, a 'firendly' conversation, but we did speak as allies, peacefully. After an exchange of the typical 'I never thought I'd bee speaking to anyone of your kind' conversation starters, she showed me a big scar on her side and said it had been caused by a lion. When I said I hope it wasn't me, she laughed... Her cubs- a girl and a boy- were far too afraid of me to do more than peek from behind the rocks where they were hiding, but I gave Zena some of the meat I had to give to them. That finally broke the ice.

Zena explained to me that the hyena who had been killed by Tufani was Ed- Shenzi and Banzai's friend since their cubhood. Even though he was handicapped, he'd been one of the closest associates of Scar. I told her I was sorry for the pack's loss, and that killing a handicapped animal was a teriible thing to do. My hyena interlocutor nodded and said that was the final reason why Shenzi decided to enter the war, which otherwise, being a conflict between lions, wouldn't bother them much.

Then we both wondered about the prince and their pack's leader's plans for their part in the fight against Tufani. Since we were both just subjects, Zena knew as much as I did, but she assured me that even a leader as good as Scar would not be able to make them fight the Raiders in what would be a suicide battle. I aked- and what if you had to fight on one side with another pride of lions? The hyena laughed mysteriously, and said she wished that wouldn't have to happen. She joked she'd rather just stick with giving 'ol' king Mufasa' moral support. That made us both laugh, but then we figured that what would eventually happen was now in the hands of our leaders.

And _especially_ ol' king Mufasa. To whom Scar, Shenzi and I returned shortly afterward, making me feel greatly relieved we didn't have to spent the night at the Elephant Graveyard.

Ordering the hyena to stay outside of the cave, the king asked me how the meeting went. I explained everything to him shortly, adding that my impression was that, under his brother's leadership, they would stay loyal to us. Mufasa thanked me and said that I could go to sleep now. Then he left with Scar to speak to him in private. Even though I did not hear what they were talking about, I had a feeling that much of our future depended on the two brothers' conversation.

* * *

 _(Right before dawn, at the top of Pride Rock...)_

* * *

Mufasa was sitting with his face turned toward the thick darkness that enveloped his kingdom. It was so dark that his brother, who was just a bit behind him, felt the other lion's presence more than he saw it.

-What are you gazing at? - Scar began impatiently. - You can't see any stars, anyway.

Mufasa turned to face his brother.

-It's not the stars I'm looking at. See- the sun is almost about to rise. You know, for the past few days, whenever I see the sunrise, I pray that the coming day would not bring news of another death.

-Yes, well, none of those days have been that kind, have they? But I suppose that today might be different. As long as you follow my instructions, that is.

Mufasa snorted, but stopped himself from making a remark. Instead, he said:

-How was your meeting with the hyenas?

-As I thought it would be. They demand revenge. Although they do not trust any other lions than me, I convinced them to help us in the fight against the Raiders. They understand it's also their fight now. They will follow me, and you, even to the battlefield. As long as you don't do anything foolish, that is.

-Stop insulting me! I am about to risk my life for you and for them!

-I didn't say _that_ was foolish. But there is more to be done than just your duel with Tufani...

Mufasa gave Scar a suspicious look.

-What do you mean?

-Well, even you probably know that to fight our foe, we still need to _find_ him first. And this is precisely what I intend to use the hyenas for. Because it is through _them_ that I found Tufani in the first place. In other words, I want you to permit Shenzi's pack to enter the Pridelands and start sniffing around the borders. You heard Malaika's report- there's a whole army of them. With their numbers, the hyenas are bound to find some trace of the intruders eventually. And I hope, just as you do, that it will be before somebody else looses his life. Give the permission, and I will send Shenzi to go back to the Elephant Graveyard and start the search first thing in the morning.

Mufasa looked as if he didn't like that plan at all.

-You want me to let hyenas into the Pridelands? I personally exiled them, don't you remember?

The calm sincerity of his brother was more infuriating to the king than open mockery.

-I do remember. And so do they. But since even despite that they decided to fight on your side, wouldn't you want to show them what a kind ruler you are by repairing your old mistake?

Mufasa knew what this meant. Hyenas never, ever did anything for free.

-They will not just be looking for Tufani, Scar. They will also steal our prey in the process. And then, they will want to stay!

-It will not be stealing if you permit them. All creatures must eat- the worker deserves his wages, as the saying goes. Later, after this crisis is settled, we will think of how to keep them at bay. It had been like that when we were cubs, and I don't remember there ever being a shortage of food.

This was a tough nut to crack for Mufasa. He had to be honest with himself- since they killed his father, he hated hyenas. It filled him with disgust to even think of one of them laying a foot in his kingdom.

But Tufani had to be found today- enough blood had been shed already. There was no time to organize a search with the neighboring prides. And maybe later he could delegate Scar to take care of the 'hyena matter', like he had been doing for so long?

-Make them find our enemy - Mufasa said finally. Scar smiled.

-See? All you need is somebody telling you what do do, and you start making the right decissions.

- _Scar!_

-Alright, alright! Save your anger for Tufani. Because you are still going to fight him, aren't you? I hope that having the hyenas on our side didn't give you the idea to just gather together and attack the Raiders by surprise. Although it sounds tempting, I think we ought to be honorable and stick to your initial agreement.

-I will fight him myself. He decided to challenge the king, and it is the king's duty to personally defend his land from intruders.

-Right. Well then, in that case, I want you to hear me out with another piece of advice...

Scar received another angry look from his brother.

- _Advice_? What you bring is not advice, but demands!

The younger lion shrugged.

-Words. Do they really matter? What matters is that they serve your cause. _If_ you listen to them.

-What do you want this time?

Scar smiled maliciously.

-I'll leave thinking of the best way to make Tufani breathe his last breath to you. But what I want is this- when we find him, you must be the one to propose the place and time of the battle. But before you do that, you will follow my instructions. Because I know where and when you need to fight him.

Again, Mufasa didn't look convinced.

-And what difference will it make, anyway?

-If it doesn't to you, the easier it will be for you to accept my advice.

-Where and when do you want me to fight him, then?

- _When_ is to be determined yet. First we need to find the wretch you wish to fight with. As for _where_ , however... Listen- it's a secret.

Scar looked around and moved his head to whisper in Mufasa's ear. But the older brother didn't like what he heard much.

-Why _there_? That place is filled with rainwater from the storms. It'll be almost impossible to fight there!

-How about less questions and more trust, _brother_?

-This doesn't have anything to do with trust! If you want me to win the battle, I have to have good conditions. And the ones you offer are _not_!

-How do you know that? What if I told you I have a plan?

-Then tell me!

-No.

-How am I supposed to listen to you if you keep it a secret?

-This is where trust is required, _brother._ Do you trust me?

There was something sarcastic in Scar's voice. But when he saw Mufasa's hesitation, he spoke seriously.

-... or do you have doubts about something else? Perhaps... perhaps you do not trust yourself?

The sun was beginning to rise. Scar could now look into Mufasa's brown eyes and see what reflected in them clearly.

-Mufasa - said the younger lion. - I want you to be honest with me. You've seen Tufani. You heard how he hurt Sarafina. Now tell me- do you think you can defeat him?

The king turned his face to watch the rising sun and to think over his answer. But when he looked at Scar again, the younger brother could see that Mufasa's trust was not in himself. It was in the cause which he only represented.

-Do you remember what our father used to say? Whenever we feared that following the laws of the old kings was too hard, he would quote the old proverb- _'the just will flourish like the watered garden'_... Scar, do you think that justice is on our side now?

He adressed a universal value which he hoped he still shared with his brother. And he was not disappointed.

-In this case - Scar began - In this case, definitely. Justice is on _our_ side.

Mufasa looked toward the East again.

-Then justice will prevail - he said.

* * *

 **AN: Here we have a totally different perspective, absent in the original Lion King story. Who cares about what the hyenas think? Who cares about reconciliation of the two brothers? They're enemies, they need to fight each other.**

 **Well, that's kind of boring and predictable IMO. I like to think that Scar, Mufasa and the hyenas didn't have to fight each other- they were not born enemies, after all. And what could bring them back together? A common foe and a common value they're after- justice.**

 **Tell me what you think about where the story is going. Remember- reading is good, but reviewing is awesome ;)**


	11. Tha Calm before the Storm

**Chapter 11 - The Calm before the Storm.**

* * *

 _(On a cloudy morning, somewhere in the Pridelands...)_

* * *

The dark, grey sky reflected in the surface of the puddle, or rather the pond that has been created by the falling rain. Out of the tall grass came a lion. He stooped down and gazed into his own reflection, looking into its blue eyes. Then he and his reflection started to drink the water. After that, they both looked at each other and smiled.

And then, one of them spoke.

- _Kutoa chochote._

- _Kuchukua kila kitu -_ answered the reflection.

-What news from our future kingdom? - asked the First Voice. The Second one laughed.

- _Haha_! It seems that king Mufasa has become desperate. He invited a large pack of hyenas to cross the border. I believe they are looking for us.

The First Voice laughed even more.

- _Hyenas_? Is that so? In that case, I think you're right- they are desperate... So what do you think? Is it time for us to let ourselves be found?

-Yes, I think the right time has come. I'm so excited! Do you wish to meet with Mufasa personally?

-That's right. They already know of the pride's presence, but I'll tell everyone to stay in hiding for now. We don't want to disturb the inhabitants too much...

A double, unison laugh lifted over the pond. And then the only thing reflected by the water were the steel-grey clouds.

* * *

*** _Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

First thing in the morning, king Mufasa announced that he decided to enter an alliance with the hyenas. As part of the agreement, Shenzi was sent to gather her pack, enter the Pridelands and begin a search for Tufani and his Raiders.

I must say this news was a big surprise to the pride... Mufasa wasn't known for changing his mind easily, and this sudden shift of attitude toward a race he considered being made up of outlaws and scavengers, was a shock. Then I heard the lionesses say- well, with war always come new foes as well as new allies, sometimes very unusual... I believe the only one who strongly protested against the king's decission, was little prince Simba.

After the announcement was made, Mufasa sent out groups from among the pride to continue our own lion hunt. He himself lead one of those groups. Then he chose a few lionesses, me included, to go out and hunt, since we had nothing to eat the other day. The huntresses were to keep their eyes open, however. Of course, the cubs were still to stay at Pride Rock. We were surprised to see an arriving delegation of cheetahs, whom the king hired to keep careful watch over our home... He'd lost confidence in the guards of his own species, it seemed.

Our hunt was succesful, and we all met back together for a meal to regain some strength. The parties have not been able to find anything yet, however. Scar said the same thing about the hyenas, whom he had been with since morning. Visibly frustrated, Mufasa ordered even us who hunted to join the search.

Fortunately, it didn't take long before we heard the king's summoning roar. When I joined him, I found out that the hyenas have done their job well. Scar brought the news that they spotted a lone lion who looked like Tufani close to the eastern border.

Mufasa decided that all who had gathered by his side were to accompany him, and we started walking with great expectation in our hearts... There was a grassy field in the savannah, still dead from dry season, but the bushes stayed tall and thick. There we met with a group of about a dozen hyenas, led by Shenzi. I saw Zena among the pack, and we shared a smile. But the king still wasn't too happy to see those animals in his land...

Mufasa ordered everyone to stand behind him, and roared. Indeed, the hyenas were right- for right after he did that, we saw Tufani's frightening shape emerging from beyond the thick grass. He was alone- but we could sense the presence of other alien lions nearby, and many of them.

The encounter was the more dreadful as, again, the murderous lion did not show much emotion while speaking to our king. I still can't figure out how that monster, who during the past five days had killed an adult hornbill, an elderly mandril, a lion cub and a reterded hyena, could just stand there like that, calmly answering Mufasa's questions and obedient to his demands... To an observer unfamiliar with the situation, it might have seemed as if he was not the villain, but the angry king who spoke to him! Was Tufani really an _ibilisi_ , a demon in the form of a lion? I still don't know.

Tufani agreed to the king's proposed time and place of the duel, once again promising that he would face Mufasa alone. He also gave his word that, until the battle, no one else would die. And then, after saying 'see you all soon', he vanished.

We were left alone, but free from the killer's shadow. Mufasa's fight with Tufani was to happen in three days. The king and Shenzi agreed to spend that time with their armies, in preparation for the fateful day. For the first time in over two years, the hyenas were permitted to stay within the borders of the Pridelands.

The three days during which we waited for the battle were a time of peace... but it was an uneasy peace. Even though the pride came back to its regular lifestyle from before the beginning of the war with the Raiders, we knew that a moment was approaching when all of this could either be preserved, or totally destroyed.

But for now, we tried to enjoy our temporary freedom. Hunts took place as regular. Even Scar helped us catch our prey, which he had not done since almost forever. As the whole pride ate, together with the cubs who were finally permitted to leave Pride Rock, somewhere in the distance we could hear the joyful howls of the hyenas, who were celebrating and feasting, just as we did, in the kingdom which was now open to them again. I saw Nala, running around with her mother, laughing. Sarafina was feeling much better now and was almost back to normal. Mufasa himself abandoned all other duties and was spending as much time as he could with Sarabi and his family's great satisfaction.

The king even sent me to visit my family at Lake Fuhaji one day. My assignment was to carry the news that he accepted Tufani's challenge to my father, and he was to share it with the other neighboring prides. I liked that visit very much, but since I had to be back to help with the hunts, it was still very short.

As I was finishing my meal one time, I looked around and saw the pride happy again. There wasn't even as much rain during those three days. But then I thought- how hard it must be for our king, who knows that the future of all of this depends on him alone... The pressure was rising with every passing hour. I shared my thoughts with Kuruma once, and she told me that for that reason Mufasa wanted to organize a huge feast at Pride Rock before the day of the battle. Otherwise, the wait would be unbearable for all of us- and especially for the king.

The official announcement was made shortly afterward. A great hunt was organized, during which we obtained the finest meats the Pridelands had to offer- giraffe, buffalo and even elephant. In the evening, the whole pride gathered at Pride Rock. Everyone was invited. Mufasa strongly requested his brother to come and, looking at the piles of food, Scar answered that he'd never miss such an occasion... Even Lenah and the other lionesses who guarded the den during the day of Kula's death were permitted to participate.

As the storm raged outside, when everyone had their fill of food and laughter, the atmosphere became more serious as we all felt that the night was comming to an end, and the dreaded day was right behind the corner... Then Mufasa called for silence. With his queen and heir flanking him, he sat in the middle to deliver to his subjects his last words of comfort.

Not a whisper was heard as all eyes turned toward the king. We could sense he felt uneasy. The results of tomorrow nobody could predict- not even him, the strongest one of us.

First, Mufasa raised his head toward the sky, invoking the Heavens for help. He started the prayer, and the whole pride followed saying:

- _Baba Yetu uliye mbinguni... ufalme wako ufike... lakini utuopoe maovuni..._

Doing that seemed to have filled him with new strength. After taking a deep breath, Mufasa spoke these words:

-My pride. My family. My dear friends. I want to thank all of you for being with me on this most happy and most fearful night. I know that, despite the good time we've had, all of you feel fear somewhere deep inside. Fear for tomorrow. And I think I will not surprise anyone when I confess that I feel this fear, too. I fear for the future of the Pridelands as well as all of Africa, if there are individuals here who think they can come to a place that does not belong to them and take the lives of other creatures as they see fit in their twisted minds. But my friend and close advisor, Rafiki, who had himself given his life in the service to the Lion Kings, once warned me to fear something even more- to fear the venom which corrupts such hearts as those. The venom of pride and hate. The reason why I will fight this Raider chief is not the pride of an insulted ruler, or hate for a wretched murderer. No. My reason is only to preserve justice. The justice that all my ancestors, the great kings of old, believed in- of giving everyone his due. Because the Pridelands are our kingdom. Here we will flourish like the watered garden. As for our enemies, however- tomorrow they will know the kind of justice they deserve.

With each word he spoke, Mufasa's voice became stronger and was as if the old kings were filling him with hope- and with that, also all of us who listened to him.

When our leader was done speaking, he roared with a long, powerful howl. All lions know that was the call of warning, which meant- 'this is my territory'. The whole pride joined this howl- first Sarabi, then the rest of the lionesses, then the cubs... and even Scar. Our roar, echoing from the walls of the lair, must have been heard all throughout the kingdom.

The Pridelands were our territory. All intruders who wished to challenge us were to face the consequences as soon as morning came.

* * *

 **AN: Here it comes! The guns are loaded and the two cowboys are only waiting for the town clock to strike noon ;) Well, let's just hope that the feast Mufasa organized isn't going to be his last supper...**


	12. The Clash of Storms

**AN: There... they... go.**

 _ **WARNING: Chapter contains violance and gore.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - The Clash of Storms**

 _(Early in the morning, somewhere in the Pridelands...)_

The echo of the last words of his speach had just faded. All the hyenas were standing to attention, an army well organized and prepared for whatever the day might bring.

And this one was a day of war.

Having inspected his troops for the last time, Scar directed his sight toward Shenzi, their leader. She was standing on top of a tall rock formation, in a militant pose, her eyes blazing with the thrill of the upcomming fight. And the lust for revenge.

-Can you see everything from up there clearly? - the lion asked her.

-Affirmative - she acknowledged with the formal tone of a soldier.

The hyenas seemed concentrated and ready. They were well fed, rested and well organized- in case something went wrong, they would provide his pride with...

Scar's thinking process was interrupted by something really inappropriate, especially in those circumstances. It was a loud belch.

The lion looked around angrily. Of course, it had to be Banzai... The terrified hyena seemed to feel very guilty, covering his mouth with his paws. That really must have just been an accident- even Scar figured the hyena didn't do it on purpose... But it was too late already.

 _-BANZAI, YOU IMBECILE!_ Haven't I told you that you are not here to keep stuffing your stomachs?

Seeing Scar charging at him, the hyena tripped and fell on his butt.

-Man, I'm sorry boss! For real, I didn't mean to...

-Get back on your feet! What's wrong with you? - he looked around the pack. There were some smiling faces among the soldiers, but when they saw Scar's eyes, they quickly went straight again. - Now let me _repeat_ this to you one more time, in case _some of you_ are too slow to catch up. Stay here and do _nothing_ until I give you the signal. Which is... Banzai? _What is the signal_?

With his heart still beating like a hammer, the startled hyena was hadly able to get his thoughts together.

-I, uh, well... It's a word., right?

- _What word? -_ Scar bared his fangs with extreme impatience.

-Err, it's... 'grass'! Right? No, wait, uhm...

The lion growled, and what he growled was adressed not just to Banzai alone, but to the whole hyena army.

-It's ' _STRAW'_! _The signal is 'STRAW'_! This is SERIOUS, Banzai! Don't do anything, not a single _thing_ , until I say the word 'STRAW'. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

The hyenas nodded. They got the point. But Scar was ready to make them repeat it even a hundred times to make sure that, if they were needed, the dim-witted savages would not screw things up.

-You better not fail me - he finally uttered in Shenzi's direction as a form of goodbye.

The hyena leader could hear Scar's voice shake. And she understood perfectly he had very good reasons to be upset. For, even though he would never admit it, he wasn't screaming because he was mad. He did that because he was _afraid_.

As Scar walked away, from the top of her rocky platform, Shenzi could already see his pride aproaching below. This is it- she thought. War.

The first raindrops were just starting to fall from the sky.

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

In the eastern part of the Pridelands, there was a deep canyon with tall, smooth walls. Since there was nothing like it anywhere near, we usually referred to it simply as 'the gorge'.

And that was the place which had been chosen to be the arena for Mufasa's fight with Tufani.

At first, I could not understand this decission. After a long time of rain, the gorge was now filled with ankle-deep, dirty water. It didn't seem like a good place to fight. After we got there, however, it became clear to me that if both parties of the conflict stood on the opposite sides of the canyon, they could watch their two leaders' battle without the fear of anyone interfering.

The whole pride, including the cubs, gathered on the western side of the gorge on that rainy morning, looking down toward its bottom way down below... At first, everyone was silent. We all had our eyes turned toward Mufasa- our defender and our hope. The king seemed calm, as much as one can be calm before a fight to the death.

And then we saw the Raiders come.

Way over on the other side, they seemed like shadows coming out of the fog... We counted one, two, three dozens... And then we lost our count. There were males and females, of all shapes, sizes and colors of the lion kind.

-I've heard they steal cubs - our king said to us, watching his enemies intensively. - Rumors say that they travel from place to place, slaughtering whole prides on the way, but they keep the cubs and train them to become murderers, just like them... And, after many years of being nomads, I think they finally found their place to settle.

The Raiders made no noise, and the howling of the wind in the gorge sent shivers down our spines... Then Mufasa turned to us and said:

-The time has come.

First, Sarabi delivered her message to her beloved mate. She was crying and all she could do was to embrace him tightly and say- 'this is not goodbye, this is not goodbye'... Mufasa asured her that it wasn't.

Then, it was Simba's turn... The poor little prince was trying to growl angrily at the enemy and encourage his father to tear Tufani limb from limb... But he couldn't keep himself from crying for a long time. Our king jerked his son's tiny mane and asured him that 'nobody messes with him', probably putting in a lot of effort to smile and act like he was unafraid. Then he gave Simba to Nala, and the two friends sat on top of a rock that was a lookout spot especially reserved for them. They hugged, each trying to cheer the other one up.

After that, Scar stood in front of his brother. He looked... different than usual. He had none of his typical, cocky confidence in him anymore. It almost seemed as if.. he feared for Mufasa's wellbeing. All he did was to gaze into Mufasa's eyes and, with an unstedy voice, say one thing:

-Get over there... and win.

Then the two sibling fell into each other's embrace. Just as I remembered them doing when they were cubs- when they won some game against us lionesses, or some other thing they did together... In a gesture of what we thought had been totally lost with the two them- brotherly love.

There were no more words to say. Mufasa wiped a tear from his eye quickly, gave us all an encouraging look, and went down into the gorge.

On the south side of the canyon, there was a sharp slope that, when one was careful, could be descended without fear of breaking your neck. What could not be said for the vertical walls farther down the gorge. With a cloud of dust and rubble, our king sled to the bottom and stood in the middle, ankle-deep in water and wet from the rain.

Gazing toward the Raiders, he howled just as he did the night before. And all of us, following him, howled back, filling the gorge with the warning message-

 _This is our territory._

At first, the enemy seemed undisturbed. Not one from among their ranks moved, not one answered until the echo of our howl died down. And then, among the silence, in a gruesome, unison voice, they began to chant.

-KIFO! KIFO! KIFO! KIFO!

I had to cover my ears. Some lioness behind me started crying, many were sitting with their mouthes agape, amazed by this horrible scene which we were whitnessing...

-What are they yelling, mom? - Simba asked the queen.

But she wasn't the one to answer. It was Scar.

-They are chanting the word 'death' - he said. I have honestly never seen Scar's green eyes show this much fear for as long as I live.

-KIFO! KIFO! KIFO! KIFO!

From among the yelling mob, one lion came forth, larger than all the rest. Slowly, taking his time, he descended the side of the canyon. The two fighters stood in front of each other on the arena at last. I swear, the tension it the air was almost tangible...

Tufani showed no emotion. He was just standing there, huge as he was, with his yellow mane and blue eyes of an angel... But he was the devil in disquise, really. We all found that out as soon as the Raiders stopped chanting, because their leader turned to them and screamed from the top of his voice:

-KUTOA CHOCHOTE!

-KUCHUKUA KILA KITU! - a unison roar of dozens of lions answered him from above.

Simba almost instinctively turned toward his uncle for a translation. Smiling quite unconvincingly, Scar said:

-So _that's_ what their battle cry is. It means _'give nothing- take everything'_.

That was exactly why the Raiders had come to our kingdom. Even before his pack's answer stopped echoing within the gorge, Tufani began to laugh. And when he did that, we finally found out the truth about him- that is, that he was completely insane. That lion laughed like no animal of sound mind I have ever seen or heard. He reminded me of a hyena that had eaten the wrong herbs... He could only control himself when he heard Mufasa's furious roar.

- _TUFANI!_ \- yelled our king. - _You have invaded my land in an act of pure lawlesness. The blood of my subjects stains your paws. While taking their lives, you had no regard for the aged, nor the cub, nor the disabled. You have been found guilty of murder. Let it be known to all that, by royal decree, I hearby sentence you to death- by my hand!_

His mighty, raging voice sounded like a thunderbolt among the stone walls of the gorge. But Tufani, that wreched, insolent bastard, laughed straight into Mufasa's face.

- _Hahaha!_ \- he chuckled like a maniac. And then we heard him say something even more disgusting than his laughter - I will make your females my mates before the sun reaches its peak... But first, I shall _eat your heart_!

That was enough. All of us, the whole pride, we were just too tired of being treated like that by this crazed intruder. I heard some female on my side lose her nerve. I think it might have been Lenah.

-Kill him, Mufasa! _Kill him_! - she shouted down the gorge in a frantic rage, though she had tears in her eyes.

Many similar shouts followed. I think I might have even screamed that myself... I'm not completely sure. But I saw the lionesses, the cubs, Scar... all screaming for Tufani's blood. Only Sarabi kept her peace- although even in her eyes I saw the fire of limitless anger.

I was not hatred. It was justice.

I had seen Mufasa hunt many times in my life. I saw him fight other animals, even ones that were bigger than himself, with the use of all his tremendous strength and with the skill of an experienced killer. But the way he attacked Tufani that morning was a sight I had never whitnessed before... It reminded me of something I saw as a cub once, when a lioness from my old pride noticed a wild dog that was sniffing around the bush where her newborn cub was hidden. The lioness tore the animal apart. That was the way that Mufasa charged at his opponent.

But when he clashed with him, he met a force to be reconed with- a wall of muscle against which he almost crashed, losing much of his momentum. Tufani, that angel-faced giant, fought like what I imagined an _ibilisi_ must look like... And it made all of us gasp with terror.

When his father received his first blows, Simba kept on cheering, but his ears went flat and tears flowed down his cheeks... Queen Sarabi, silent and still as she was, also seemed to me to be feeling every one of Mufasa's wounds herself.

The water on the bottom of the gorge splashed around under the fighters' feet. Very soon, it was stained by the first drops of blood... After one attempt of an assault, the king took a step back and tried catching his breath. It looked as if he didn't even notice the large cut at the side of his face, the effect of Tufani's sharp claws he failed to miss, even though the blood was now flowing down the magnificent brown mane on his chest... The enemy had his own cuts and bites already, but they seemed like nothing compared to his vast collection of scars from countless past battles.

The fighters clashed again, each trying to hurt the other as much as he could. For two male lions, it wasn't easy to actually kill the opponent. The most vulnerable part of their bodies, their neck, was safely protected by their manes. In other words, Mufasa and Tufani were both trying to knock the other one to the ground with blows, and then reach for the stomach with a fatal bite. But for many, many minutes, both of them failed each one of their attempts to accomplish that. What resulted in a great number of minor cuts, bruises and wounds.

The length of the battle was unbearable. We couldn't even imagine how tired our king must have been- constantly charging at his foe, attempting to do as much damage as he could, then trying to free himself from the embrace of death, jump back and get ready for another assault that followed immediately afterwards... After a long enough period of time, the two lions were almost rolling in a puddle of mud mixed with their own blood.

There was one time that made all of out hearts stop. It was when Mufasa pounced at Tufani in a long leap, but missed, lost his ballance, and was immediately crushed with the weight of the other lion's body. I believe what Tufani wanted to do, was to pluck the king's eye out with his claws... He immobilized one of Mufasa's paws, laughed, and tried to slash his face, but the king was fast enough to move his head away, and bite deep into the bastard's arm.

The wretched lion roared with pain, and we all cheered. But his revenge came soon afterwards- he jumped off of Mufasa, and then used his own teeth to grab his tail... and almost pull the king behind him.

The effect was that Mufasa, screaming loudly, slipped on the smooth wet floor of the gorge for about half of his own length. His tail snapped out of his enemy's mouth... with the skin peeled off of it.

If Mufasa was mad before, that made him reach a level of anger beyond imagining. The pain and the adrenaline made him abandon all caution, and attempt a blind, vicious attack. Even though Tufani was heavier, struck with the full weight of Mufasa's body charging at him, he was swept off his feet.

There was a pile of rocks in the middle of the gorge- something that now looked like a small island among the water, with a tree on top. Pinned down by the king's attack, Tufani hit the rocks... with the back of his head.

But that didn't kill him, nor did it stun him for long. Oh no. With Mufasa's paws on his chest, he attempted to grab the king and choke him... But he could not reach his neck. He could only try to slash Mufasa's front legs, what had no effect whatsoever- our leader did not feel the pain anymore...

Taking a deep breath, so deep that it was heard on top of the gorge's wall, Mufasa stuck his paws into Tufani's fur, pierced his skin with his claws, lifted him up... and then pushed with all the force he still had in him, making his opponent's head hit the rock that lied underneath it.

-THUMP! - the first sound filled the canyon. It was followed by Tufani's loud, vicious snarl.

-THUMP! - another sound followed shortly afterward, when Mufasa smashed his head against the rock yet again. It was followed by silence.

-THUMP! - a third noise, followed by the sound of cracking bones...

-THUMP! - a fourth, and the sight of a pool of blood apearing around the fighters, so big we could clearly see it from above...

I counted nine such sounds in total. The winner had to be absolutely sure he was victorious.

When Mufasa stood up, towering over his opponent's lifeless body, there was not much left of the invader's head to recognize his old, handsome features anymore. Unfortunately, the same could almost be said of our king...

Mufasa was so tired he could barely stand. Blood, both his and the other lion's, covered his face and most of his body. He later told us he didn't even hear our cheers and shouts of joy as we acclaimed him the victor of the duell...

What Mufasa did hear, was laughter. Again, a fiendish , sickening chuckle, which filled the gorge from top to bottom- and which filled our hearts with terror.

Because the laughter was comming from Tufani.

The king gazed toward his conquered opponent...

No. It couldn't be. That lion was dead- there was no doubt about that. _The enemy was dead!_

- _What madness is this?_ \- Mufasa cried in a desperate yell of blind anger.

-KIFO! KIFO! KIFO! KIFO! - the Raiders answered him with a sudden howl- a stunning, hellish wave of noise.

Then all of us found out that, sadly, the Rain Season War was not over yet.

* * *

 **AN: The secret has been revealed- Mufasa is Ned Stark!**

 **But what the hell is going on in the gorge? Did he win or not? Be patient and you'll find out soon.**


	13. The Two Thunderstorm Clouds

_**WARNING: Chapter contains violance and gore.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - The Two Thunderstorm Clouds**

 _(On a rainy morning, at the Gorge...)_

King Mufasa stood in the pouring rain which slowly washed the blood from his wounds away. The deepest ones were on his right side- the shreded skin uncovering his bones in some spots. The skin on his tail was also half- peeled off, he had several broken ribs, two broken fangs... and he was completely exhausted.

For some time, he thought he might be halucinating. After all, he thought he'd just killed his enemy- Tufani's corpse was lying in front of him in a pool of blood... So why was he seeing this scene from _before_ his duel all over again? Why were the Raiders shouting, and why was there a huge yellow lion descending the side of the canyon, laughing frantically?

He felt his wounds. He still had the sound of Tufani's cracking skull in his ears. He had _won_! This was _impossible_! Who was this other lion, this azure-eyed demon that looked just like the first one? Was Rafiki right? Was he a devil that could never be killed?

The Raider stood in front of Mufasa, whose muscles were shaking uncontrolably from strain, anger, fear and pain. The chanting stopped.

- _Who are you?_ \- the king asked, grinding his fangs.

The yellow monster-lion gazed at the identical corpse that laid in the rainwater, and sighed.

-I am Tufani.

- _Impossible_! I just killed Tufani! He's right there!

The strange animal sighed again, still gazing at the body.

-No, Mufasa. You did not ask for the name of the lion you attacked. Poor Wingu, he finally met his match... - the real Tufani looked into his enemy's eyes, making him shiver. - You've killed my brother. And now, I will kill you.

When the rest of the Pridelanders heard what Tufani said, there was no limit to their utter astonishment. All this time, they were being tricked- and Mufasa especially. For Tufani and Wingu were twins... and the king had killed the wrong one.

This is why they appeared to be in two places at the same time- some of the lionesses thought.

This is _appaling_! We have won! Get out of our land! - shouts like those could be heard comming from the top of the cliff. Mufasa was of the same opinion.

-I have killed the one who challenged me... - he told Tufani, so physically and mentally tired of this whole ordeal he was barely able to stand. - Get out of here... Accept your defeat!

-No - Tufani answered confidently, standing in a battle pose. - _I_ am the leader of my pride _. I_ was the one who challenged you, and _I_ am the one whom you must defeat! Now _get ready_!

Over at the top of the cliff, everyone was afraid. Mufasa couldn't possibly fight anymore...

-It's over - Sarabi whispered. Her lips were shaking and she was tightly holding her son Simba, who was crying helplessly...

And then someone approached her. Someone completely unexpected.

Her brother-in-law.

Scar, just like everyone else, looked totally frightened. But he took a deep breath and pretended to be calm when he spoke to the queen.

-I knew that something would go wrong... But don't lose your hope just yet. I've done some preperations for the eventuality of such an event as this

And then he turned around, looking as if he wanted to... go down into the gorge!

-Scar, where are you going? - asked the queen.

He breathed deeply.

-To save my brother's hide, obviously.

No one, absolutely nobody knew how in the world he could do that. But Scar had always been a loner, and never shared his plans with anyone. They would have let him go... if it weren't for one lioness that stood in his way.

It was Malaika.

-Scar, don't do this! Tufani will kill both of you if you go there! - she said to him pleadingly. Then he gave her a long, sad look...

-Thank you for helping me, Malaika.

-What?

-You know. When we talked the other night, and when you went with me to the Elephant Graveyard. Thank you for that. Let me cheer you up, however- Tufani will not kill _both_ of us. Because Mufasa... - he sighed. - Mufasa will survive.

Hearing those words surprised her. Scar never thanked anyone for anything. But this situation was not like anything ordinary... She understood, and then she cried.

-Goodbye, Malaika - said the lion. He then went pass the female and descended the eastern wall, into the gorge.

Seeing his brother approach made Mufasa very mad. _What is he doing? Aren't there enough casualties already?_

Scar saw his angry face, but didn't pay attention. He just sat down beside him and turned toward Tufani.

-What's this now? - asked their enemy. The younger brother cleared his throat.

-As we can all see, the rules of duelling are being interpreted very loosely today - he spoke. His voice was clear and strong, what surprised his pridemembers. Was Scar trying to speak about law to a lawless rogue?

-In a regular duel - Scar continued - there are two opponents. If one dies, the other one wins. Well, we already have our dead competitior right here... and yet, another one decided to take his place. What do we make of that?

Surprisingly, Tufani was listening to the speach patiently. Mufasa however, predicting where this was all leading to, was becoming increasingly angry...

-What we make of it is this- on the Raiders' side, one brother decided to replace the one who, shall we say, cannot fight anymore. Why then should the right to do the same not be given also to the other side? As you can see, my brother is also unable to continue the battle. So, to make it a fair match... I intend to take his place.

Everyone gasped with disbelief. Because not only was Scar almost two times smaller than Mufasa... But he had also _hated_ his brother.

Of course, Mufasa himself could not tolarate such a possibility.

-Are you _out of your mind_? - he growled, using all the strength he still had in him. - I will _not_ let you do this...

But then it was Scar's turn to become angry. Attacking his brother with his green eyes casting sparks, he screamed:

-Now you _shut up_ and listen to me for once! I am trying to save your skin, _don't you understand_? You're too weak to fight, Tufani will tear your heart out in the blink of an eye. _Do you want that_? Tell me, _do you_?Up there is your pride, your queen, your son... You _cannot_ abandon them like that. Now, right now you must go back to them and let _me_ settle the matters down here! I have nothing to lose, anyway. Don't worry, I will not take the victor's glory away from you. This one time, I ask you, I beg of you, Mufasa- trust me...

 _It's not about the victor's glory, Scar_ \- the king thought. _I just don't want to lose you..._

Desperate and lost, Mufasa looked toward the clouded sky for answers... And he got one.

What he saw was a shape among the clouds- a shape that reminded him of his father... But could it be?

Then he saw another scene. There were two vultures circling over their heads, undoubtedly attracked by the sight of Wingu's dead body. But when the Lion King looked at them from below, one was just flying over the other's head. The two birds created one shadow for a second, as though there was only one...

Then he remembered.

'The pride shall only be saved _when the one becomes two... and when the two become one'._

As Rafiki's words echoed in his mind, he looked at Tufani and his dead brother. The one who has become two.

Then he looked at Scar, who awaited his answer... They have been seperated for so long! Now was the time for the two to become one again.

-All right - said the king with tears in his eyes. - I trust you.

The younger brother nodded, and smiled. Tufani gave them a look as though he didn't care which one of them he would fight whatsoever.

-Are you sure you're going to be fine? - Mufasa asked.

In his mischievous, sarcastic way, the black-maned lion whispered:

-I've told you I'd have a 'plan B' ready in case you screw up...

Reluctantly and with great strain, Mufasa left Scar alone in the canyon with Tufani. Turning around time after time to see if they haven't started fighting yet, he attempted to ascend the wall of the gorge again. But after seeing that he was incapable of doing that by himself, Sarabi and other lionesses slid down to help him. When the Pridelanders were finally reunited with their king, they sat down gazing downward, hoping to Heaven that Scar's wits would get him out of this hopeless duel somehow...

But even though he faced a killer, Scar looked calm. His heart was beating, but the fear was hidden under a veil of excitement. He just gazed at the opponent who sat in front of him, what made Tufani laugh.

-Any last words? - the Raider said when he was finally able to control his mad chuckle.

Scar arose, looked around, shook the raindrops off his mane, took a deep breath and said.

-How about a proverb? A piece of old wisdom which describes this situation parfectly. It goes like this: _'the just will flourish like the watered garden...'_

But Scar also remembered something that others did not. That king Ahadi's old saying had a second part. Which the prince of the Pridelands now revealed to his enemy.

 _-'... but the wrongdoer will be trampled underfoot like the straw.'_

Then he lifted his voice to a scream- and his scream was heard both inside the gorge, as well as all around it.

- _'LIKE THE STRAW'!_

An angry shine appeared in his scarred green eye with the last word, which only made Tufani laugh again...

- _Hahahaha... -_ he couldn't hold himself from mocking what he heard and who decided to face him anymore...

-HAHAHAHA! Oh prince, I shall paint the walls of this gorge with your blood... And then I'll go to finish your brother off!

But even his malice was not as strong as Scar's. Who, smiling mysteriously, answered him:

-No, Tufani. For you are already dead.

The Raider kept on laughing, even when a very silent, strange sound came from behind his back. But when the sound became louder than his laughter, he turned around... And then, in the distance, at the entrance to the gorge, he saw a cloud of dust.

And a wave of raging, stampeding wildebeest, heading his way.

His smile immediately vanished. But when he turned toward Scar, the prince still maintained his sarcastic grin.

-The hyenas have done their job well - he said to himself.

For the first time, he saw something in Tufani that could be considered fear.

-If I die... - he said - You die with me.

-We shall see. I can move faster than you. _You are heavier_.

Tufani growled viciously- and then they both ran. Very, very fast.

* * *

 **AN: So Scar decided to put his original plan in motion with the stampede... Only this time, using it to kill his _real_ enemy.**

 **It didn't long to figure out that if Tufani wins, he's gonna be in trouble. Becoming king was out of the question- now he had to work with his brother to even be able to save the Pridelands from a hellish existance. And, seeing Mufasa's sacrifice, he decided not to be worse and make his own. Which made the two brothers, forced to fight together, one again.**

 **But a stampede is an unpredictable thing. Whe will survive it? The unsuspected friend, the unsuspected foe... or neither?**


	14. The cleansing Rainwater

**Chapter 14 - The cleansing Rainwater.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***_

* * *

I still don't know why I let Scar go down into the gorge.

Even though what he said in front of the pride revealed to us what his intention was, none of us protested. Was it because we have really learned not to care for that outcast lion, who never ceased to show to us his dissatisfaction with how the kingdom was run? Or maybe because we could hardly believe that, for reasons known only to himself, Scar decided to sacrifice his own life for the sake of his older brother, whom he had hated?

That is hard for me to determine now. We were all in too great shock after what happened... When we saw Mufasa's opponent die, we all breathed with relief and thought that this nightmare was finally over... But when the real Tufani came forth, the terror caused us to almost lose our wits.

None of us could hear what Mufasa and his brother were talking about down there. The king explained it to us much later... That the 'two had to become one again'. But before knowing that, we thought that letting Scar fight with Tufani, he was sentencing him to a certain death.

We helped our king climb the edge of the gorge to sit with us. He was immediately welcomed by Sarabi, Simba and everyone of us who were so happy that he was alive. But what was going to happen now? None of us could honestly tell.

Nobody thought Scar could defeat Tufani in open battle. As it was later revealed, not even Scar himself thought that. And he was an intelligent lion. In his mind, he figured that if Tufani broke the preordained rules of the duel, those rules were no longer binding. This was why he took Mufasa's place... and this is why he set his plan in motion. Fighting with the power of his mind, not his muscles.

Scar knew he could die. I saw it in his eyes. I also saw that he was ready for it. But what made him do what he did is still a mystery to me, as are many other spheres of that lion's soul, known to none but himself.

When we heard him scream out his father's old saying, that _'the just will flourish like the watered garden, but the wrongdoer will be trampled underfoot like the straw'_ , we thought it was only a form of taunt... What we didn't know was that it was a signal Scar had prepared as a part of a plan that involved the most surprising element-

A pack of hyenas.

We knew Scar demanded them to be let into the Pridelands, and that he chose the gorge to be the site of the battle himself. But nobody connected those two facts until we saw the hyenas. Leading our king to his duel, none of us even noticed them in the distance, but they were waiting- listening for their master to give them his signal.

After Scar said the words, we heard the noise of a great turmoil. Mufasa pointed toward the horizon in the south... What we saw was so strange we didn't even know how to react. A large herd of wildebeests that was grazing peacefully was suddenly frightened by something and sent off running for their lives. Then, they met an obstacle and changed the direction of their escape, and then another time, until they were finally lead straight into the gorge... We later found out it took the effort of the whole pack to make the animals run where they were supposed to.

And they did. The sight of the forming stampede filled us with awe- the cloud of dust, the drumming sound of hundreds of pair of hooves and the splashing water made them look like a moving thunderstorm that had descended to earth...

The only one to react was Mufasa. We just heard him say- 'Scar is down there!' in a terrified voice. And, at once, he began to run.

I think the king understood immediately that his brother wanted to sacrifice his life for him and the pride. That was why he ran so fast, despite his wounds, not paying attenion to his exhaustion and aching muscles... We barely caught up with him.

The two brothers have become one. Each was risking his life for the sake of the other. Before our very eyes, we saw the first fruit born during that rain season.

Mufasa ran right by the edge of the gorge, cutting through the wall of rain. I was probably about the fourth or fifth lioness that ran behind him, and I had the stampede right by my side. The situation was desperate. Down below I saw two figures, one right at the other one's tail, and I gasped... Scar was fast, Mufasa was catching up with him, but how would the king get him out of the gorge before Tufani would reach him?

I heard Mufasa scream to try to get his brother's attention. _'Scar! Scar!_ ' - his voice sounded within the gorge. But Scar didn't hear. He was losing his breath, tripping, slowing down... Tufani already tried to grab him from behind, and where Tufani's tail was, there was also the horn of the wildebeest at the head of the stampede...

- _'Scar! Brother!_ ' - I heard another cry. I thought it looked like the black spot in the gorge lifted its head... And then, suddenly, he made a sudden turn. Tufani slipped behind his back as Scar jumped straight at the wall of the cliff in a spot where it wasn't as high, and astarted climbing...

The stampede ran behind his back, but it did not trample over our enemy. Tufani leapt out of the mess of bodies with a roar, attatching himself to the wall right beneath Scar.

I halted, looked down and saw Scar's face- he was frightened... Inch after inch, he climbed the wall using those claws of his he always kept sharp, but the surface was smooth and he began to slip. Then I saw Mufasa crouch on the very edge of the cliff, his hind legs being the only thing that kept him from slipping himself, reaching toward his brother with his paws... The fear in his eyes was indescribable.

I cannot begin to imagine what went through Scar's mind when he was in that desperate, horrible situation. The stampede still raged behind his back, he was attatched to the vertical stone wall with his claws, and unable to pull himself up any more. When Mufasa was finally able to reach him from above, unable to grab his paws, he had to thrust his claws in them... I saw the king's muscles flex as he used all his strength to pull his brother up... But he was unable.

For Tufani was already grabbing Scar's feet.

I have never seen any creature look as much as a demon as that lion, as he was pulling Scar back down into the gorge to die together with him under the wildebeests' hooves, screaming _'kifo, kifo, kifo...'_

Some of us tried to throw rocks at him from above, especially Simba, who was carried all the way over here on his mother's back, but all to no avail...

And then Scar did something he was actually supposed to do, according to the rules of the duel. Namely, he attacked Tufani. With unmeasurable anger for the fact that the Raider was holding his foot, he managed to free the other one... and kick the enemy in the face.

Now Scar always walked with extended claws. Some lions considered that 'rude', but this time it actually saved his life. The first kick did nothing but make Tufani even angrier. The second missed its target. The third hit scratched his face.

And the fourth made him fall off the cliff with a scream. To be trampled like the straw.

* * *

 _(On a rainy morning, at the Gorge...)_

Scar felt pain in his hind legs. It was because of the long, tiring run. His paws also hurt very much- and that was because they were pierced by Mufasa's claws.

-Let me go, you'll fall with me! - screamed the black-maned lion, still sensing the earth quake under the hooves of the stampede.

-Hold on! - the brown-maned lion screamed back.

The wounds Mufasa received during his duel with Wingu were bleeding- Scar saw the muscles under his brother's torn skin on his right side, as it was being scraped even more by the rocky edge of the cliff.

-Try to... pull yourself up! - the older lion yelled desperately.

 _Pull myself up...? But why would I do that? Why was he helping me, anyway? Why was he risking his life for me? I am a gonner, a dead corpse. Tufani was defeated- I've done my job. I can go now._

-Don't... give... up... - Mufasa's voice was now only a yelp. He felt Scar's paws slipping out of his grasp.

 _Tufani is dead, trampled by the stampede... I did my job. I killed him. There's nothing else left here for me._

 _I will never become king. Mufasa's alive. I saved him although I once desired to kill him... What have I become? Who am I, anyway?_

 _But wait. I am Scar, the prince of the Pridelands. Why am I to die trampled, just as the criminal did? There is no justice in that!_

 _Pull myself up? But how could I do that? I would have to use my hind legs..._

And his hind legs were free. No lion was holding them anymore. Searching for a ledge, he finally found ground for one foot, then another...

Scar pulled himself up, wailing with pain. He was able to grab the wall with his paw a little higher, then a little more, each time with Mufasa's help...

And then he found himself lying on the ground, totally confused, surrounded by other lions, aching all over.

And _alive_.

He saw his brother's brown eyes, so fearful, so filled with concern as during that unfortunate event with the buffalo years ago, when he got his scar and his name... He had promissed his father he would find a way to reconcile with his brother then. It took so long... But it finally happened.

-You... you saved my life... - gasped the younger lion.

-You wanted to sacrifice your life for mine... - gasped the older one.

Overcome with emotions too extreme to describe, they fell into each other's embrace. Both with tears in their eyes, both with sincere, brotherly care and gratitude.

The rain washed their blood and tears away, and finally they were able to smile. At least for a moment.

The sound of banging hooves vanished somewhere far away, but only to be replaced by a howl which suddenly filled the air- a mournful, vicious, wild cry... The cry of lions.

The Raiders waited until the stampede ended, and then saw what was left in the gorge. And what they saw filled them with a rage so strong that it could no longer be controled by anything- for they have lost their leader.

-They are coming over here... - Scar whispered with horror in his eyes.

The lionesses stood and wailed. But their king would not let them be left alone like that.

-If they wish to, let them come - Mufasa said bravely. - We will not give up without a fight.

-We're outnumbered! And you're wounded! - his brother said to him.

But then, for a change, Mufasa was the one to send him a witty grin. After that, he roared.

-Who are you calling for? - Scar asked, completely surprised.

The king smiled, as if giving his whole pride a sign not to lose hope just yet.

-'Plan C' - the answer came.

As the Raiders were walking toward the entrance to the gorge from its eastern side, from the south west, from behind a hill, came another group of lions. A very large one.

-Is that...? - gasped the prince, genuinely impressed.

-Yes. - Mufasa said. - Our allies from Lake Fuhaji. You have Malaika to thank for that.

Scar immediately looked toward the lioness, who turned her face, blushing. Looking back at the king, he smiled and said:

-Well, in that case, we need all the help we can get.

And this time Scar roared, directing his summoning call toward the south.

-Will the hyenas fight for us? - the king asked, understanding whom his brother was roaring at.

-They will fight for _me_. And for themselves. And for the rich, abundant Pridelands which you have promissed they will share in. Yes, for that, they will fight.

The Pridelanders awaited their allies' arrival, hoping it would happen before the Raiders would find their way out of the gorge on its western side. But, even though the two groups came from the south and south west, they did not head north, toward where the lions were, but joined together and turned toward east- toward the gorge's entrance.

-Where are they going? - asked the outraged Mufasa, thinking that his soldiers have abandoned him. The Pride was also looking at the scene, unable to understand why they were not preparing for an attack. But Scar knew something else- and it made him smile most delightfully.

- _When the two become one..._ \- quoted the prince. - Brother, it seems that both of our armies have decided to disobey our orders and act on their own accord.

-Why are you laughing, then?

-Well, tell me... It's rain season. We've had storms for days now. But what on earth happened to all the water? Why isn't the gorge filled to the brim?

Mufasa was confused. He didn't know what that had to do with anything.

-Alright, I give up. This is all too much for me... Just please, tell me- what is going on here?

Scar smiled even more, and pointed toward the southern entrance to the canyon.

 _-Look!_

Mufasa strained his eyes. It seemed as if there was a large pool of water over there... blocked by a dam created from fallen trees and other rubbish that clogged the tight passage to the canyon.

-Are they doing... what I think they're doing? - asked the king, slowly realizing that, with a little luck, he wouldn't have to fight again that day after all.

Scar observed the scene with pride and content.

-Who would have thought- lions and hyenas, working together... Yes, what you're thinking is correct. They are tearing down the dam.

All the Pridelanders gathered at the edge of the gorge to see what would happen. Down below, standing in ankle-deep water, were over three dozen lions of all shapes and sizes, growling at them and taunting them. They weren't expecting anything.

The dam did not break suddenly. It took Shenzi's pack and Arauna's pride several minutes to get rid of the largest tree trunks, first letting out a small stream, then a larger one, and then finally a whole river that did not swipe the rest of the lumber, but carried it on very slowly. The Raiders were not hit by a tsunami. The water rose gradually, first to their bellies, then to their necks... And then first fallen trees started to appear. The lions, growling in fury, were trying to climb them to save their lives. But the trunks, carried by the merciless current, banged one against the other, crushing the animals attatched to them. Other Raiders drowned. Few managed to grab the walls and attempt climbing, but they slipped. Only one climbed as high as to almost reach the Pridelanders- a young male with a dark brown mane...

Mufasa pushed him back into the raging river below.


	15. The watered Garden

**Chapter 15 - The watered Garden.**

* * *

 _*** Malaika's story. ***  
_

* * *

After Mufasa threw the last one of the Raiders down the into gorge, the Rain Season War was finally over. He turned toward his pride and said: 'this is our territory'.

And then he passed out.

It took us some time to revive him, and when my father's pride avrrived together with the hyenas, everybody was afraid that our king might be very sick from the strain and the bloodloss he had suffered that day.

But Mufasa the Lion King had not been defeated. No- the victory which he achieved together with his allies, was total.

The joyful celebration started as soon as he was able to open his eyes. Embracing his son, his mate and his brother, one by one, he thanked them all for the support they offered him in that hour of crisis. He especially thanked Scar for risking his life for the pride... And Scar sincerely thanked his older brother for saving the life he was ready to sacrifice.

Mufasa thanked each of us lionesses, lifting the penalties he had imposed on Lenah and the ones who guarded Pride Rock during her daughter's death. He thanked my father and the rest of the leaders of neighboring prides who came to fight at his side. And yes, he even thanked the hyenas. Shenzi bowed her head before him, smiling mischievously, and the king put his paw on her shoulder as a sign of his appreciation for the role she and her clan played in defeating Tufani.

The king announced that, as soon as he recovered a little, there would be a feast at Pride Rock- larger than the one that happened the night before the battle. He invited all lions and hyenas present there to participate, what caused a true outburst of joy. It finally came to us. The threat was no more. Our lives and our land were safe. We had won! The Pridelands were our home again, free of any intruders that would want to disturb our peace!

The announced feast happened five days later. Since the rains have stopped and the land was now flourishing, the herds came back and, with our neighbors' help, we had no trouble hunting for the best prey availiable- zebras, antelopes, elephants... even hippos. Mufasa's wounds were slowly healing, and he was able to conduct the whole celebration with no problem. Once again he thanked everyone who took part in defeating the Raiders, and the speciffic groups, when mentioned, cheered aloud. We Pridelanders delivered our joined roar once again, then each of our allied prides followed, and finally the hyenas, whose wild cry of joy sounded far and wide as they cheered and danced around the meat they were given as a reward... Truly, we all knew that it was better to have them on our side.

Some announcements were made during the festival. First of all, Mufasa delivered his official condolences for the deaths which had happened during the war. Then, he shared with everyone something I had found out when I visited Lake Fuhaji the last time- that my father, due to his age, was retiring as leader of his pride. He had earned a relief from all his duties by participationg in the war. The king also announced that I, as Arauna's oldest daughter, was to replace him.

My pridemembers were a bit sad that I had to leave them and the service of our king in order to go help my family. But they also wished me good luck and were very kind to me, and I assured them that I would visit the Pridelands often.

Then Mufasa did something unexpected. He told everyone he wanted to honor his brother for all he did by giving him a more important position in the pride- that is, the one of minister of interior affairs, the one I was just released from. Scar had never wanted to have much to do with things like that, but the king insisted, saying that he would need help with organizing everything that concerned the hyenas' presence in the Pridelands, which was to remain permanent from now on. So his brother decided to take the position, temporarily...

The celebrations continued until late at night. I spent a lot of time talking to my father, the lionesses from my old pride, and Zena, my new hyena friend, sharing our happiness and hopes for the future. But when I was almost ready to go to sleep, along with everybody else, I was stopped by the entrance to the cave by none other than Scar.

The prince was lying on the ground comfortably, finishing a piece of zebra liver, which was always his favorite food. He casually asked me to wait a while because he wanted to discuss some 'business'. I agreed, and then he asked me if the Fuhaji Pride, of which I was now the leader, also needed a male by any chance...

I honestly couldn't believe hearing that, and it took me some time to understand that this was Scar's way to...

... ask me if I would become his mate.

We both smiled. He knew the answer already, I didn't even have to say anything... I was honored and flattered that none other than the king's son gave me such a proposition... And, yes, I did like him a lot. Not just for that ebony mane of his. What he did at the gorge proved to me that Scar had a lot of good in his heart that just had to be uncovered- he was ready for sacrifice, and I knew he would be a good leader for our pride... And a good father, as I hoped.

Because that is what love is all about. Sacrifice.

* * *

 _(At night, somewhere in the Pridelands...)_

-Look dad! I can see the stars again!

Simba, who was safely lying on Mufasa's back, pointed at the sky that has become clear and cloudless for the first time in many days.

-Yes, son. The kings of old are looking down at us with a kind eye.

Letting his thoughts drift away, the lion looked at his kingdom that surrounded him. The fresh new grass on the savannah was so tall and thick that he had to use all of his hunting skill in order to find his son during the game which they've just finished playing. If somebody came to the Pridelands that day, he probably wouldn't be able to notice that anything tragic has happened...

Mufasa moved to let Simba slide down his side, and felt a moderate wave of psin in his right side. Yes, the wounds have almost healed, but the scars were still there to remind him of the evants of the rain season- of the war and all the lives it claimed. The lives of his family andfriends...

The king sighed and looked into his son's eyes. They shared a smile.

-You know, you better get some rest. I remind you that we will continue your lessons tomorrow.

The cub whined, making an angry face.

- _Aww_ , do we have to? Now that we can finally have some fun, I wanted to hang out with you, and Nala, and everybody else...

-There is a right time for everything, Simba. You still got a lot to learn before you replace me as king. And... I think you've seen enough to know now how hard it is to be the Lion King...

The small lion gazed at his father's serious face, eyeing the cuts and gashes left there by Tufani's claws. Then he straightened.

-Okay, dad. I'll try not to fail you - he said. Mufasa noticed that the war, even despite being a time of suffering, had made his son a little more mature. Meat and exercise would make his muscles strong, but it were times like those that shaped a powerful character. The king was proud of how his son took care of his betrothed and the other cubs as they stayed alone and frightened at Pride Rock.

-Good - Mufasa smiled. - Because I have a special mission for you tomorrow.

- _Really_? What is it, dad?

The king gazed at his son to see what his reaction would be.

-Tomorrow's lesson will be about an important thing a king must know- that is, diplomacy. Let me explain. I'm taking you to the hunting grounds in the north to meet with the leaders of the hyena packs.

Simba seemed a bit disappointed, but he didn't complain aloud.

- _Uhm_ , the hyenas? What're we gonna talk to _them_ about?

-Simba, you know that they are our allies now. They helped us a lot during the war, and now they are allowed to live and hunt in the Pridelands as a reward for their loyalty. Although the land is flourishing and the herds are plentiful, the hyenas are still wild creatures, however. That is exactly why my brother and I will be talking to Shenzi tomorrow.

Simba's eyes lightened up.

-Uncle Scar's gonna be there, too?

Simba had not seen Scar since he left with his mate Malaika to become the leader of the pride by Lake Fuhaji. Mufasa was sure that his son would love to see him again, especially if he could learn something in the meantime.

-Yes. My brother taught me a lot about dealing with the hyenas, but I think they still trust him way more than me. He's been with them for so long, and he still managed to keep that a secret from me. - the king laughed. - That old fox...

Simba gave him a concerned look.

-But... you and unkle Scar are still friends, right?

-You bet we are. Without him, I would probably lose my temper and exile the hyenas back to the Elephant Graveyard... And I will always remain thankful for Scar's help in the gorge. What he did surprised me, Simba. We weren't friends like that before it happened, you know... I think my brother's changed. A lot.

It was always interesting to Mufasa to see how Simba knew what questions he should ask immediately. Even though they were sometimes the most awkward questions, at the same time...

-And what about you? - his son stood up to face the huge reclining adult lion. - Have you changed?

Mufasa waited a while before answering. _Did he change?_ The only thing that was certain was that the war changed everything.

He sighed, picked the cub up with his teeth and put his in between his paws. They were now looking in the same way- toward the Pridelands, illuminated by the bright moonlight.

-The comming of the rain season changes the whole kingdom, Simba. The storms bring much destruction and fear, but in the end... Look- the land is alive again. when the water fills up the cracks in the dry ground, the soil is healed and new life can be born again. I'm afraid it was like that with Scar and me for years... We became dry and torn apart. Both of us needed the cold shower of rain and the sound of thunder to wake us up and remind us that we needed to come back together. And now, when the rains are gone, we can flourish.

Both of them stayed silent, gazing at the stars for some time. And then Simba curiously asked another one of his tough questions.

-Speaking of being born... if unkle Scar is married now, does this mean that I'm going to have nephews to play with soon?

Simba's curiosity made Mufasa laugh aloud.

- _Hahaha_! Well, I'd hope so, too. Be sure to ask him that when you see him tomorrow. Do you like your aunt Malaika?

-Yeah! I do a lot!

-That's good. Now let's go, it's getting late. We don't want your mother to get mad at us, do we?

As they were walking toward Pride Rock, Mufasa looked toward his father's star. It seemed to be shining especially bright that night. 'We are one' - went through the king's mind.

THE END

* * *

 **AN: That's it! Thank you all for reading, I hope you all enjoyed my little story!**

 **I wanted this to have a happy ending. Kind of like in 'From behind bars', I used the idea of a conversion and a change of heart of Scar, the main villain of the story. Of course, this too could not come in normal circumstances. The calm and peaceful Pridelands are an environment where conflict flourishes in places where it shouldn't- places like family. But when a real threat appears from the outside, family is brought back together and made to work as a team. That makes old bonds come to life again, and a reunited pride can stand strong against the real enemy.  
**

 **After their victory, let's just hope that everyone will keep the peace in the kingdom. I think thay all learned their lessons- Scar, Mufasa and everyone else. Even though it came at a high cost, Chriastian philosophy believes that all suffering happens for a reason. And that the good that can be born from it can be even greater than what was before.**

 **So until we meet again, dear Lion King Fans! Take care XD**


End file.
